Primed For Extinction Part 2
by dougaude
Summary: While Maya and Zero are searching for a new adventure, and running from their past, they find themselves in the Badass Crater of Badassitude. Watch as humor and hilarity as well as stardom engulf Maya to the point where she almost forgets Zero even exists, and it has deadly consequences. (Chapters will be based on every single main and side mission, MayaxZero but with a sad twist)
1. Chapter 1: Welcome To Torgue Land

**A/N: Apologies for not uploading this on Monday...yeah President's Day kind of fucked me over on that one. I like America's presidents in general, but when the library decided to close on the day we celebrate them, I have a bad day. Just an FYI if any other uploading days (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) come upon a holiday I will most likely not upload on that day since I don't have access to the internet without school or the library.**

**Chapter 1: Welcome to Torgue Land**

**Mission(s): Highway To Hell * Main Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

Maya and Zero digistruct onto a place they haven't been before. The unfamiliar landscape is somewhat small, but Zero rationalizes that they've come to a section that's cut off. Looking ahead, Maya sees a gate of sorts with two pipes above it spewing tiny jets of flame. Off to the left and in the distance part of the crater comes into view. Right before they can get a good look at their surroundings the famous Mr. Torgue has something to say.

"Welcome, to the Badass Crater of Badassitude, badass! This is mister Torgue, broadcasting to you from deep orbit! If you're here that means you wanna win our tournament, open a vault, and earn the title of number One badass! Now before you get started, you need to sign our digital legal waiver."

As they walk forward Maya and Zero look in the distance and see that the area they're in, plus a whole lot more is surrounded by one unbroken rock wall. They're immediate area is hemmed in by a cliff edge and a wall, plus there are scattered car shells here and there on either side. As they walk forward they approach the gate they see flashing red and yellow lights on either side of it. Once they pass through the gate they come to a set of stairs that go down into a smaller but similar area to the one they came in at.

To their right and up a small set of stairs are an Ammo Dump and a Zed's Meds vending machines. It had been almost two weeks after they had killed the Leviathan, and discovered the Lost Treasure of the Sands. Now the two were looking for a brand new adventure. To their left going away from them towards another gate were a water tower, a box, pile of tires, and a stack of crates.

The gate itself was less flashy than the first one; the Torgue sign attached to the keystone area of the gate had been drawn on to read, "fully Torgued". Looking just left of the gate Maya sees the legal waiver consol and approaches it. As Maya attempts to sign it the console sparks a few times, and then explodes knocking Maya back into Zero's arms. Both of them move closer but spring apart when Torgue comes on the ECHO.

"Just kidding! F*CK THE LEGAL WAIVER! You're in TORGUE LAND now sucker! Just head to the arena while I play you a sick guitar solo! MEEDLYMEEDLYMEEDLYOWWWWWWWWWW!"

As Maya and Zero walk through the gate, down a slope, and into the crater they see a blimp, flying overhead in patrol like patterns. In the distance and a little to the right straight ahead, situated in the middle of the crater is an arena. The top of the large dome has several spotlights waving around revealing its location even more.

As they come down off the slope, Maya discovers a catch-a-ride station off to the right. Maya says, "Scooter's been here too? Damn that man's been everywhere. Eh, but then again he has been living on Pandora for a long time – he grew up here … hey Zero, You even listening to me?"

Zero is at the catch-a-ride station and he beckons Maya over. Still slightly miffed that Zero would ignore her comment, Maya checks the station and finds that their Sandskiff is nowhere to be seen. The vehicle had served them well when they had been interacting with Captain Scarlett while searching for the lost treasure. Maya finds herself not really that bummed, "Eh well, a Sandskiff in this place wouldn't make much sense.

Zero summoned a Light Runner since it had two seats, and there were only two of them Zero thought that would be the best choice. Zero hopped in the front while Maya hopped in the gunner seat. Zero drove forward under a highway, along the dusty slope that leads downwards. Turning right Zero stops and comes to a ramp; backing up Zero prepares to make the jump.

"Right now, you're ranked fiftieth in the badass leader boards, which puts you behind my grandma but ahead of some guy she gummed to death. IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS. If you wanna open that vault, you gotta rise in the leader boards. Also you need a sponsor, for MOTHERF*CKEN LEGAL REASONS! Get to the bounty board, and we'll set you up with one."

Zero gunned the afterburner, and they flew across an expanse of sand. Zero managed to land the Light Runner between two slopped rocks and at the start of a gauntlet like town-y place. After getting out Maya and Zero move forward amongst the ramshackle buildings. As soon as they approached the start of the area, they heard, "You don't wanna be here." Muttered by someone called a Burner Enforcer. In fact the whole first group of enemies Maya and Zero fought was all some sort of variation of Burner.

After eliminating the few Burners that appeared, Torgue had something to say. "I probably should have set you up with a sponsor before hand, but I'm F*CKING DISORGANIZED AS SH*T and was to busy suplexing a shark wearing a bolo tie, when I should have been setting up sponsors. You may ask, "Who was wearing the bolo tie, you or the shark?" Answer, yes!"

The duo moved further in and they encountered some group of bandit like bikers called, Mamma's Boys. These were a bit weird, dressed all up in pinks and greens – but still easy enough to defeat. After they eliminated them Torgue said something again, and caused Maya to nearly double over with laughter.

"You may have noticed that everyone here is trying to kill you, Torgue personnel included. You're WELCOME. I didn't want you to get bored so I was like, "F*ck it give everybody guns!" We lost half our workforce in three days. But who gives a f*ck?"

They moved forward, now only about a couple dozen feet from the arena, the place's screams could be heard all the way outside currently where Maya and Zero were standing. The Torgue personnel looked badass, with orange armor and spikes as well. The enemies Maya and Zero had to face among the three enemy groups included regular bikers, too big dudes called enforcers, and tall ripped dudes called bruisers.

"Piston is talking to you, baby! I'm impressed with how you're handling yourself out there, Vault Hunter. I hear you need a sponsor, and as it so happens I need a new apprentice. Come find me at the arena – just follow the succulent scent of success."

Maya and Zero walk up the sandy slope and come to the base of the giant arena, Piston is standing there being interviewed by a newsman.

"Piston, what would you say to those who accused you of cheating – of rigging fights to gain your number one ranking?"

"[laughing] Oh, Jeffery. Well I guess I'd have to say I'd do this –"

Piston shoots the newsman dead with on of his cannons for arms.

"- And then I'd tell them to NEVER! CALL! ME! A CHEATER! And you can quote me on that. Hey over here newbie."

Piston calls Maya over after kicking the newsman's camera. Maya seems to notice that everyone seems to talk to her, and generally ignore Zero. Before going over to Piston Maya asks Zero and he says, "It's because they all / think I am your body guard / and don't mess with me." Maya taking this as a satisfactory answer moves forward and speaks to Piston, not knowing the fantastic adventure that awaits her (Zero's just along for the ride, and can't seem to separate himself from Maya's side).

"You are now in the presence of greatness," Piston says.


	2. Chapter 2: Enter the Arena

**A/N: Looks like these chapters may be on the shorter side. But I think that's appropriate, don't you?**

**Chapter 2: Enter The Arena**

**Mission(s): Welcome To The Jungle * Main Mission**

**Battle: Appetite for Destruction * Main Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

"Here's what Piston's offering you chickadee – Piston will sponsor you. Piston will take you under his muscley wing and we will open that vault together. I've already set up your first fight in the arena, get in there and show 'em that Piston and the Vault Hunter are a force to be reckoned with!"

Maya and Zero walk up the metal ramp leading to a small door tucked in between two of the arena's extending walls – which more than likely contained storage rooms. As they moved away from Piston Torgue said something that was quite obvious to Zero, but perhaps less so to Maya.

"IS IT JUST ME, OR DOES IT SEEM LIKE HE'S GONNA BETRAY THE F*CK OUTTA YOU?"

As Maya and Zero moved forward they came to the bulk of the arena, and entered the door to within. They came to a small room lit by soft red light.

Piston says, "Now, usually your first match would be against a single opponent, but I thought: eh. Instead, you gonna be fighting a few dozen chumps called the Hoard of Horrors. Now, I could kick their asses with both pecks tied behind my back, but you'll wanna take it easy."

To their left and sitting in a corner was some rectangle-ish thing that could only be a Torgue vending machine. To their right in the adjacent corner were another Ammo Dump and a Zed's Meds. To the right of the Zed's Meds was a bounty board, and to the right of that was a red chest. After opening it and finding a Torgue shotgun, Maya turns in the rather short and somewhat pointless mission into the bounty board.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like our next combatant has arrived! Does the Vaunt Hunter have what it takes to survive the appetite for destruction round? I think we all know the answer, MAYBE! The rules are simple, use the provided loot and kill everybody! The last fighter standing is a bonified badass! Go to the center of the arena when you're ready to start!"

After the words from Torgue Maya walks down the hallway, with Zero following close behind, to a garage doorway. Red and yellow flashing lights surround the door. When Maya pushes the door to its open position, the arena is revealed. Stepping out into the massive open space, Maya hears the steady din and occasional cheering of the massive crowd that has gathered.

It doesn't take things long to get started – in the center of the otherwise dirt and sand floor of the fighting area is a cleverly constructed fighting place, with stack car husks, metal supply crates, and doorways scattered here and there constructed to provide the enemies with many points of advantage to attack from – one Maya and Zero get to the center of the arena.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's the moment you've all been waiting for: The Hoard of Horrors verses The Vault Hunter … FIGHT!" Torgue yells.

The fight starts, and in the first wave only three enemies show up. Zero popes one in the head, thereby exploding said head, and Torgue commentates.

"Oh, a crushing blow from the Vaunt Hunter!"

Maya kills the third enemy of the first wave with her Jakobs shotgun. Both Maya and Zero stay quite during the fight.

"Wave complete. But don't get too comfortable."

An alarm sounds, Torgue says, "Next wave bitches!"

This time six enemies spawn. Zero cuts the head off of one of their opponents and Piston comes on and says, "Holy crap, are you still fighting these idiots? You're gonna have to pick up the pace if you wanna be Piston's partner."

Zero snipes the last injured biker in the head and Torgue commentates again.

"Another wave down! Better get some ammo! It's time for another wave."

With the third wave, come 9 enemies. This round a few psycho like enemies spawn, and they rush Zero's position. Maya is too busy off among the structures quickly taking out the enemies with quick blasts from her shotgun.

Maya throws a singularity grenade, and it turns two bikers into bloody pulp. Torgue yells, "That was BRUTAL! Where's the ref?"

Zero finds an angle, and snipes the head off of a midget. Overkill, but Zero seems to be enjoying him self – although rather admittedly with watching Maya work than actually killing things, none of the bikers so far were a challenge.

"If you're still alive, grab some ammo! If you're not, THIS MESSAGE IS IRRELIVENT! That Vault Hunter is chewing through waves like a fat kid in a cookie store! NOW I WANT COOKIES!"

A new round starts.

"Here they come! It's the final wave, don't die now!"

The fourth round starts with six enemies. They are taken out by each other quite rapidly; Maya and Zero are only able to get in a couple kills together. But more keep spawning, and soon Maya and Zero loose count of how many enemies come through the metal work … so to speak.

Zero nearly gets taken down by an arena blaster, which is basically a really big guy dressed in armor carrying two heavily loaded rocket launchers. Zero takes out an incendiary Norefleet and pounds the arena blaster into oblivion.

Piston says, "That was sloppy Vault Hunter."

Maya is outraged, she yells that was a fantastic kill she then punches some biker so hard in the face that his head explodes. Her fist glows with a small sphere of power that evaporates on contact with the biker's head.

"Oh my GOD that was badass!" Torgue yells again.

The last enemy is eliminated with a headshot from Zero.

Torgue says, "DING DING DING! That's it the Vaunt Hunter wins – and now has LEAPED up to rank number five on the leader boards! MEEDLYOW!"

"Piston is proud of you. I've arranged for the stagehands to deliver some guns to you – take them. Piston thinks this will be the start of a beautiful relationship."

As Piston says those words Maya thinks, _Oi I'm sorta in a relationship with Zero, what makes you think I want to get with someone who 1) doesn't have a real jaw 2) doesn't have real arms 3) has a fucking engine surgically attached to his back … just eh, no._

Maya would have said something but she feels Zero's arm around her waist, she just stands there for a moment confused. _Did I forget something?_ Suddenly Maya sees a red loot crate rise out of the floor in the middle of the arena. Forgetting Zero's tender arm around her waist, and not even hearing the hushed words trying to be spoken by Zero – Maya rushes ahead and opens the loot crate, excited at what inside.


	3. Chapter 3: Come, Play With Fire

**A/N: Yay! This chapter is longer … and so will many of the parts to come. Hope that doesn't make you mad or anything. It shouldn't since this DLC is so awesome.**

**Chapter 3: Come, Play With Fire**

**Mission(s): Burn, Baby, Burn * Main Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

Maya opens the loot chest and finds it empty of anything.

Piston laughs and says, "Pahahahaah! I'm not going to share the vault's prize with some no-name mercenary. I am the greatest fighter who ever lived. I will open the vault myself, and you – will get the hell out of my arena. That noise you're hearing is the arena slowly filling up with Harmstrong gas. I've turned off the cameras; just breath deep and pass out. Like a good little coward."

The green gas spreads through the arena, Maya and Zero can't hold their breath for long enough and breathe in the gas. They pass out, and after an indiscernible amount of time they come to in a small room. Bodies lie next to and in an active furnace, and blood streaks surround them leading up to the furnace from a closed garage type door.

Torgue says frantically, "What happened to the camera feed? Why do I smell gas? Did some one drag the Vault Hunter away? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON!"

Maya and Zero turn to their right, and head up a small set of stairs. They turn left walk up a slope, and turn left again to come to their way out. They encounter two badass enforcers (really big guys but not as big as the Arena Blaster). They're easily taken care of by Zero, and Maya suddenly collapses against the wall clutching her side.

After taking care of the enemies, Zero gives Maya a medical hypo needle. After receiving the red fluid, Maya stands back up gives a brief thanks to Zero and continues on her way. There are three separate platforms set apart that the two Vault Hunters have to jump on in order to reach their exit, which is small but still accessible.

They make it outside and begin trekking across the sand to the first catch-a-ride station they saw, and the only one they knew about.

Torgue asks, "What the hell? Ladies and gentlemen, the Vault Hunter has disappeared from the arena! I don't know—where'd the F*CK did he go?"

Piston says in response, "Lemme educate you Torgue. The Vault Hunter ran. Away. They found out they'd have to fight me, Piston, to become the number one badass on Pandora, and they ran away, like a little baby."

"Ran away?! THIS IS A TRAVESTY! I've got no choice – as the head of the Torgue Tournament, I must officially dub the Vault Hunter a coward!" Torgue declares.

After this Maya and Zero arrive at the catch-a-ride station, both of them are somewhat bummed, and Maya goes and sits with her back up against the outside of the building housing the catch-a-ride station. Zero just stands there confused thinking, _Is the challenge over?_

Torgue comes on the ECHO after a while, "Okay, it's straight up dawg time: I know you ain't actually a coward but F*CK if that twist ending didn't make for some good TV! Still, you gonna need a new sponsor if you want to stay in the tournament. Get to the Beatdown."

After this news both of the Vault Hunters realized that they would be staying in the tournament, Zero realized that everyone seemed to be referring to Maya as the only who who's there. Still he claimed the driver's seat, and Maya claimed the gunner's seat on their Light Runner (it had a blue shield paint job).

Zero drove straight out of the building, and flipped 180 degrees to the right and drove along the road that apparently wound through and around the crater. After driving a little ways, zero encountered a road gunner. The bike manned by two bikers sped at them, the passenger alternating shooting between a shotgun and a corrosive sniper.

Two more bikes came at them from out of a hole in the cliff. Zeros and Maya's combined powers of the two mounted guns managed to mow down the bikers and explode their bikes. Zero drove down the road more and eventually after encountering two more bikes came to an entrance that was blocking the passage of the vehicle.

Both Maya and Zero exited the car and turned right heading down the rest of the paved road over a bride and into the Beatdown. As they entered the Beatdown, and walked a shot distance away from the entrance towards a Zed's Meds vending Machine Torgue said something, "The number FOUR ranked badass lives out here. His name is Pyro Peat and he – HUGE COINCIDENCE! – Kidnapped one of the freelance sponsors around here about a day ago. YOU SHOULD GO KILL HIM AND MEET HIM BUT NOT IN THAT ORDER!"

After hearing this, Zero makes a stop at the Zed's Meds and stocks up on a few more hypo med needles. He had a feeling that thanks to Maya's reckless behavior lately, she would need them. Zero resigned himself to just shadow Maya, take out any enemies immediately a threat to her that she couldn't take care of and heal her when necessary.

Why was Zero taking a backstage seat? He felt, since he had his own emotions under control about the fight with Jack and the Warrior, that Maya needed this chance to become a star. Whether or not which one of them was the number one badass on Pandora, that was out of the question. The number one badass on Pandora had either died, or lost their mind among the ones left behind in the Vault of the Warrior.

Maya moved forward and crouched behind some boxes a little ways away from a collection of five broken empty car shells, and an abandoned bus. The adjacent abandoned gas pump station, and the surrounding area was crawling with bikers. All types, and Maya considered her weapons. She held her sniper rifle, but wasn't sure if she should take the shot or not.

Zero obliged for her and took out one biker walking towards them from the bus. His head exploded spattering the ground behind him with blood, and suddenly Maya opened fire as well. Bodies started to fall at a fast pace, every second another one would hit the ground; Maya wasn't doing all the work, but Zero was making it seem like Maya was.

After eliminating all the bikers within sight of her box cover, Maya vaulted over them and ran forward ducking up against the bus. Zero followed close behind, and Maya moved forward along the side of the bus.

Piston comes on the ECHO obviously talking to a camera, "I tell ya, that Vault Hunter coward was like a child to me. I sponsored 'em. Brought 'em up. And yet when it came down to the comedown, they ran away in fear. Tch – how the mighty have fallen."

After Piston's words Maya gets some encouragement from Torgue, "Even with the whole 'coward' thing, you're still the number five badass on the Torgue leader board, and Piston's number one – you just gotta kill your way up the list, and they you'll be able to whip out your heroism and slap Piston in the face with it!"

After listening to this, Maya peeks around the corner and takes out a few more bikers. But just then two bikes come screeching out of a garage and come speeding towards Maya. In a split second Zero takes out his Norefleet, and blows both of them up with the three E-tech orbs fired from the launcher.

After taking the bikes out, Maya and Zero turn right and head down the street. Maya walks in the middle, but Zero walks on the sidewalk occasionally taking cover behind a couple car shells and a broken dump truck. Zero finds an alleyway that will allow them access to the rooftops because of a fire escape.

Maya looks to her left, and sees Zero heading up the fire escape. Following from instinct, Maya finds herself joining Zero climbing up the fire escape and then standing with him on the rooftop of a building. Zero, with Maya following, turned right and jumped down to a lower rooftop. He landed and rushed across a thin metal sheet bridge and came to a red loot chest. He opened it and takes the guns out.

Zero threw the two sleek looking smgs down below and the bikers were momentarily distracted by the shininess of the two smgs. This momentary distraction, allowed Maya and Zero to take up positions on two different rooftops. They opened fire and the bikers below began to drop like flies.

As the body count rose, a few bikes came out driving in confused circles. Zero shows his skill wit the sniper, and blows out the bikes tires causing them to fishtail and run into each other exploding. The resulting explosions managed to take out the rest of the bikers down below.

Pyro Peat comes on all excited and shit, "Ohhhhoho. It's the coward, you're gonna BURN! Burn burn BURN! Flamey bits, fire in the sky. Let's talk. Fire talk with me. Fire walk with me."

Torgue then says, "You'll kill Pyro Peat's ass at some point, but you gotta wait until you find out where he stashed that sponsor he kidnapped. Otherwise you can't rise up the leaderboards."

Maya and Zero jumps down and both head left to another street. This time a short ways down the street, a barrier meant to bar access any further has been constructed. A section of tall wire fence is stretched between a tall stack of boxes surrounding a supply crate to the left and to the right is a platform constructed above a roaring open bonfire.

Maya pulls out a singularity grenade and chucks it next to the bonfire. Several bikers flew from their hiding places, and landed in and around the bonfire. With the bikers' grenades added to the mix, when Maya's singularity grenade explodes a great ball of fire erupts from the bonfire. It engulfs and destroys the barrier in almost white-hot flame.

"HOLY SHIT! THAT WAS A FUCKING AWESOME EXPLOSION!" For a moment Zero thinks Torgue says this but then he realizes that the shout came from Maya.

In addition to eliminating the barrier, the explosion took care of the remaining bikers stupid enough to hide behind the barrier. Maya and Zero move forward confidently after that, but encounter several bikers on bikes. Zero just manages to eliminate all 7 with the last of his Norefleet ammo.

Moving forward Maya and Zero come to a fairly large building blocking their path. They strafe left, and head up a long sandy slope. A few psycho bikers run down the slope but Maya blows their skinny bodies apart with her Jacobs shotgun.

Pyro Peat comes on the ECHO again, "It's the COWARD! Ohhh, I'm burning up inside. You want a sponsor yes? I have a warm one. But you must dance, first – start some trouble here in the Beatdown and I will give her to you. Get to the battle board! Now, before the flames rise!"

"HIS GIMMICK IS THAT HE REALLY LIKES FIRE!" Torgue yells.

"Cause some trouble? Aren't we already doing that?" Maya asks. Zero responds with, "We're causing trouble / apparently not enough / we need to cause more." After that Maya and Zero work their way up the sandy/rocky slope, fighting and killing a few more bikers.

As they come to the next street, a couple bikers come running out of an open garage door behind some barbed wire fence. After tossing a singularity grenade over the fence, Maya turns left and takes cover behind a broken own van. A fairly large crowd of many bikers is camped out in front of the entrance to Pyro Peat's Bar.

It becomes a hassle to take out some of the bikers since they have shock weapons; it becomes a pain in the ass when a burner enforcer rears his but ugly head wielding two shock sniper rifles shooting them like pistols. After about an hour, Maya and Zero manage to kill all of them.

But just then 3 bikes come roaring out of nowhere, Zero later uncovers the fact of an open garage tucked in a corner to the right of the entrance to Pyro Peat's Bar. Since Zero doesn't have any Norefleet ammo, Maya ends up having to phaselock all three of them long enough for Zero to puncture the bikes engines; thereby resulting in three satisfying explosions.

After mopping up outside the Bar, Maya and Zero check themselves then move forward into Pyro Peat's Bar. Maya heads left, past a small couch and table, and turns in the mission to Pyro Peat's bounty board.

**A/N: Well Zero doesn't seem to grasp the meaning of 'backstage seat' very well, ah well this just means we'll be seeing more of him and Maya interacting. Thanks for reading btw.**


	4. Chapter 4: A Flame-y Showdown

**Chapter 4: A Flame-y Showdown**

**Mission(s): Battle: Bar Room Blitz * Main Mission**

**ChopSuey * Main Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of ****Carnage**

"Get ready to grab a beer and kick some rear, cause it's TIME FOR A BEATDOWN BAR BRAWL! Just pick a fight with the drunks and stay alive!" Torgue says.

After getting the mission, Maya and Zero head down the set of stairs situated in the middle of the room. They come to a rectangular room, situated in the middle of the wall opposite them is a set of doors. Maya pushes them open, her and Zero study the scene. Rats, Torgue Engineers, and Psychos prowl the lower level. Bruisers are up above on a second level, which is basically a walkway constructed around the walls halfway between the floor and the ceiling.

The floor was wooden board through out; the railings bar stools and staircases were all made of metal. The entire area seemed cozy, but still had the air of a fight was about to break out any second.

Maya runs around back and blasts a psycho apart with her shotgun, Zero informs her via ECHO that the mission was to kill the badass enforcers, regardless of the other bar patrons. Then follows a mad rush, of both Vault Hunters weaving through bloody bits of bar frequenters to plow into and kill 5 or so Badass Enforcers. Halfway through the fight Torgue yells, "THIS FIGHT REMINDS ME OF MY DAD! ALCHOHOLISM DESTROYS FAMILIES."

After killing the Badass Enforcers, Maya and Zero head back up to the first room and Maya turns in the mission to Pyro Peat's bounty board.

"You finished Pyro Peat's bullsh*t! Now go and talk to him and he'll probably tell ya he's gonna give you a sponsor, but then he'll betray you and try and kill you then you'll have to kill him, and it will be awesome! Anything you wanna add Pete?" Torgue asks.

"No. You, uh…cover it. Thanks. For that," Pete says slightly depressed.

After that Maya and Zero walk down the stairs through the door, out into the bar turning right. Going through another set of doors, Maya and Zero walk across a space and then come into an elevator. They stand in it, and Maya pulls the switch. The lift descends 30 feet and they stop 15 feet before the come to the floor of the chamber below.

Pete then says knowing he sounds stupid, "Ah – so, yes. The sponsor I kidnapped is in the bar. Go find her. This is not a trap. Um. Yeah."

Maya and Zero come to a short hallway constructed in the rock. At the end there's a wire platform blocking their way and ultimately their shots. Maya walks to the edge of the hallway's metal platform, and looks down. "It's okay, we'll just jump down and take him up close!" Maya says grinning.

Zero jumps past Maya landing in the arena. Maya spins around on the spot, and jumps after him. They both walk to the middle of the arena, and then Torgue comes on announcing.

"Here we go fight fans! It's PYRO PETE VURSES THE VAULT HUNTER! FIGHT!"

Pyro Pete jumps down and says, still in that half depressed voice, "Oooooooohhh no. It was a trap. This must come as an incredible shock to you. Burrrrn in Hellll."

The fight begins and Pyro Pete puts his arms out to either side, the two flame throwers attached to his arms begin to pulse long jets of fire out and Pyro Pete swings his arms forward. At first the Vault Hunter's are out of range, but then Pyro Pete moves forward while simultaneously swinging his arms and the jet flames.

Zero jumping back twice, takes aim and blows of Pyro Pete's helmet. His shields are still up, so Maya takes out her electric Sand Hawk and blasts away at his shields. Spider ants then crawl out of the two sewer pipes spewing water into drains. They converge on Zero, and the assassin is forced to abandon his sniper on his back and brings out his katana.

While Zero's slicing and dicing, attempting to hold back the influx of spiderants, Maya begins working on Pyro Pete. Since she's temporarily on her own, Maya relies on both her powers, and the elements at her control … through her guns.

After taking down his shields, Maya phaselocks him but only for a few seconds. During that time, Maya notices that Zero has stayed silent. Looking back she sees nothing, suddenly a katana flies pas Maya's head and a scream. Spinning around her Sand Hawk at the ready, Maya sees Zero materialize in front of Pyro Pete, his katana buried in the madman's stomach.

Pulling back Zero stands beside Maya, who's somewhat dumbstruck. Pyro Pete collapses on the floor, his blood seeping out of them then he mutters in his last breath, "Such…warmth…"

"SQUIBBBLYOWWW! With Pete dead that sponsor chick he kidnapped shouldn't be far! Find her!" Torgue says, with enthusiasm.

On one side of the room, there is a lever and Maya pulls in. A mechanism above sounds and a platform lowers slowly. When the two Hunter's step on the platform, Zero pulls the lever. They ascend and find a pipe leading into the rock to what must be the keeping place of the sponsor.

On either side of the tunnel pipe, are two pipes curing upward but ending abruptly; they're spewing flame. Maya walks first through the pipe, Zero following behind. After a ways walking towards a caged fan, Maya suddenly falls left. When Zero reaches the spot he finds Maya standing in a room looking thunder shocked.

On the other side of the room is a woman they never thought they'd see again, and Zero is equally dumbstruck but being the person he is Zero walks forward to free her from the cage. As Zero stands in front of the prison bars, the door slides open and the woman walks out; all the while Torgue introduces her.

"Now introducing: the barbaric, the beautiful, the most buxom sponsor of the history of Pandora: MAAAAAD MOXXI!"

"Miss me, sugar?" Moxxi says smiling, giving a smirk and a tip of her top hat.


	5. Chapter 5: Concocting Various Plans

**A/N: Just in case I need to remind you, or if you don't know inform you, whenever I put (NC) next to a mission that just means I've only got part of it down in the chapter. No worries, the mission will be completed in chapter next. NC stands for Not Complete…just in case you didn't guess that.**

**Chapter 5: Concocting Various Plans Part 1**

**Mission(s): A Montage * Main Mission (NC)**

**Totally Recall * Side Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

"Thanks for the save, doll. So – you want what's in the Vault, and given how tragically long its been since I ran my own fighting ring, I want Torgue's coliseum for myself. I think it's time you and I became partners…with benefits. Head back to the crater and we'll talk strategy."

After receiving the instructions from Moxxi, Maya and Zero turn right and walk up a set of short stairs. They come to a doorway set back in the wall. Zero walks through first checking around both corners, he walks forward without a worry. Maya follows him, and they find themselves in an abandoned highway tunnel section.

Looking to their right they see, a stack of three crunched together car shells blocking their path. Looking to their left however, Maya and Zero discover an unobstructed doorway. They run all the way down the hallway and come to the bug door, after ducking under it Maya and Zero find themselves in the Beatdown.

Piston then talks to them over the ECHO, "So, you found another sponsor. That's sweet, baby. But lemme explain something – you're still just a no name merc with muscles like wet noodles. My pecs are laughing at you right now. [Imitates pecs laughing] You hear that?"

They find themselves at the end of a long street, abandoned and flanked on either side every few feet by telephone poles. The rode curves to the left then sharply straightens out again. They follow the road down to the intersection with the broken down buss, and where the multiple bikers had come out.

Turning right, Maya weaves through the broken car shells while Zero merely walks over them. They walk back to the entrance to the Beatdown, and for some reason Maya doesn't want to leave. Zero looks at her then nods at the bounty board, it has a mission available and Maya goes and picks it up.

Torgue says, "BAD NEWS. A diseased midget fell into the Black Label brewery a couple weeks back which means all our beer is poisoned as F*CK and has to be recalled. Kill anyone holding a bear and bring back all the tainted bottles you can find."

Zero walks over to the vending machines, telling Maya that he needs to take inventory and check stock. But that she shouldn't take too long with here mission, Maya agrees then runs off back the way they had come.

Going down the street, through the broken car shells, Maya comes to the intersection but instead of turning she goes straight ahead through a now open gate. On top of the gate is a pipe, several smaller pipes stand straight up from that pipe spewing flame. Maya goes pas the gate, and turns left still running.

The siren arrives at Pyro Pete's bar slightly out of breath. Maya then walks up the stairs into Pyro Pete's Bar. Just going straight, and down the staircase Maya arrives in the same place she had been several minutes earlier.

"Keep grabbing those bottles! I ain't having my gladiators dieing of poison – that's WUSSY SH*T!" Torgue exclaims.

The fight begins with Maya using her shotgun to quickly eliminate enemies. Thanks to the Jacobs relatively fast reload Maya is able to take out enemies quick enough so she won't get too overrun.

"KEEP KILLING THOSE BANDITS WITH BULLETS SO THEY WON'T BE KILLED BY POISON BEER!**" **Torgue yells.

As each bandit drops dead they drop a beer bottle. Maya begins collecting them and stowing them in her pack. A few Bruisers give Maya trouble when she tries to climb the stairs, but her shield absorbs most of the damage and she's able to kill them and collect their beer bottles.

"You almost got enough bottles! Keep going!" Torgue says encouragingly.

Maya by this time is getting a good workout, since she has to basically run around to each most available enemy while dodging the fire of the other bandits.

"You got all the bottles! Thanks for killing those bandits so the poison beer couldn't kill them OH SH*T I JUST REALISED THAT MADE NO SENSE, GODAMNIT!"

After killing 21 bar patrons and collecting as many bottles, Maya heads back to the lounge area. After re supplying her ammo, Maya checks the Zed's Meds for a good class mod. Finding nothing worthwhile, Maya moves on out of Pyro Pete's Bar.

The streets seem to be filling back up with bandits so Maya treads carefully. Deciding to try and be stealthy Maya makes it as far as the intersection before she is assaulted from three sides. Front, left and right all those directions bullets come whizzing from and almost end Maya. She ducks behind the gate support and brings out her Jacobs sniper rifle.

As Maya pokes the barrel out, and then the body a bike comes screaming through the gate. The front of the grinder bike pulls Maya's sniper from her hands, and ends up crushing it beneath its wheels.

Maya reaches deep within her bag and pulls out the legendary sniper rifle, Longbow. This one is corrosive, and Zero doesn't know about it he only knows about Maya's incendiary Longbow. It only takes on bolt to punch a hole through the bikes engine; the driver spins the wheel around to Maya but ends up driving into a wall. The whole front of a building now is covered in blood oil and a giant scorch mark.

_I love explosions,_ Maya thinks before she strafes to the middle of the gate to engage the enemies. She lowers her Longbow and sees Zero stacking the last bandit body on a tall bloody spike. Smiling softly, Maya jogs over to Zero and says, "Nice work there, what say you turning in Torgue's mission then meeting Moxxi in the Crater?"

Zero nods and he and Maya head back through the car shells and to the beginning of the Beatdown. Maya turns in Torgue's mission, and the poisoned beer bottles.

"WHY DID I THINK THAT PLAN MADE SENSE?!"


	6. Chapter 6: CVP Part 2

**A/N: Just a quick note, I hope I got Tiny Tina right. Freakin' love her character. That is all for now, enjoy.**

**Chapter 6: Concocting Various Plans Part 2**

**Mission(s): A Montage * Main Mission**

**Eat Cookies and Crap Thunder * Main Mission (NC)**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

After completing the mission from Torgue, Maya and Zero head back to the Crater.

Torgue says, "With Pyro Peat dead, you're now the number four badass on Pandora! GRATZ, MOTHERF*CKER! Also, you should treat Moxxi nice! NOTHING IS MORE BADASS THAN TREATING A WOMAN WITH RESPECT!"

After exiting the Beatdown and entering the Crater, Maya turns left and finds a catch-a-ride station. Zero spawns their Light Runner and both Vault Hunters hope in. With Zero yet again in the driver's seat, he comes out of the rocky slope and turns right along the road that weaves around the Crater.

Encountering only three bikes, and a few skags, Zero manages to drive along the road through a tunnel up to the Badass Crater Bar. As they stand in the mini graveyard of cars out front, Maya looks up at the flashing yellow and red neon sign. In the middle of the sign is a stoplight above the word 'Moxxi's' blow the words 'Red Light'. The sign sits above the entrance, which Maya followed by Zero enters a moment later.

Mad Moxxi says, "Hey, darlin'. Right now, you're ranked fourth on the Torgue leader board, but don't worry – there's nothing better than getting to third. … Base. … It's a sex thing. The ranked three badass is a cannibalistic rod hog named Motor Momma. You'll need to train a little to take her on, but I've hired the best trainer in the business, go meet her. Motor Momma's hiding out, just waiting for the other gladiators to kill each other off. Once you're done with her training, you'll be ready to lure her out."

After receiving the instructions from Moxxi, Maya and Zero exit the bar without ordering a drink. They head forward, jumping over a few car shells then they come to a catch-a-ride station in between two small buildings. Hopping in the driver seat this time, Maya drives off immediately almost leaving Zero behind. But thankfully he had gotten in the gunner seat first so no harm done. Going straight to the road, then turning left Maya circles the Crater until they pass under a bridge. Maya then follows this bridge, they come to a sectioned off part its underside strewn with bombes supported by wires – and on the ground fairly large mines half buried in the sand.

Maya jumps out of the Light Runner and runs through the canyon towards a mobile home covered in gadgets and painted pink with a few white bunnies.

Torgue comes on the ECHO and introduces their trainer, "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the wild child, the queen of obscene, that girl who'll make you hurl –"

The door to the mobile home explodes outwards with fire following it, as smoke billows out then clears a girl with a bandit's face strapped to the side of her head steps through.

"TIIIIIINY TIIIIINA!"

"Ta-daaaaa!" The thirteen year old says. "Sup shawty! Imma be you trainer. Right now you're like 'pow', but when I'm done you're gonna be like 'pidly-PAOW'. Gut your but to the arena and let's do this shiz."

After speaking briefly with Tiny Tina, Maya turns back and heads out from under the bridge. Hopping back in the Light Runner Maya drives back the way she had come towards the Badass Crater Bar. Instead of going right Maya drives straight, down a small slope and comes to a catch-a-ride station.

Turning left Maya came face to wall with the arena; she jumps down and comes to the secret side entrance. Zero walks in after Maya.

Tiny Tina says, "Step one of my training regiment is food. You gotsta get those carbs, son. The back o' the arena got's tons of noms for the workers. Get some cookies, so you can eat 'em and grow big and strong and kick Piston in the butt-butt."

Mad Moxxi says, "Don't get me wrong, sugar – I know you don't generally need the help of a trainer, but it'll go over great with the crowds. There's nothing the masses love more than a training sequence."

Maya and Zero head out into the outer ring of the arena, turning left they head among the crates and cleverly constructed hiding places for cover. Heading straight for a ways, Maya comes to one of the storage rooms and dismisses it. Zero thinks otherwise and enters it; Maya comes back and enters as well.

Looking around as Zero pilfers the loot able containers of their loot; Maya sees a suspicious looking crate. Shooting the crate, Maya causes it to explode and a notice comes up on her ECHO device informing her that there is a challenge to destroy a certain amount of those crates.

As Maya and Zero progress forward a little ways they encounter Torgue robots much like loaders inhabiting the curving hallway. After blasting them away with each a Resolute Rifle (corrosive Vladof) the two Vault Hunters move forward. Zero sees a red barrel and shoots it to see what happens.

A notice comes up on his ECHO device informing him of the total 11 challenge barrels available for blowing up. _I love a challenge, _Zero thinks as he and Maya come upon another storage room. Maya blows up the 2nd out of 6 challenge crates, and Zero walks up to a Torgue Cookies vending machine.

Tiny Tina squeals, "Ohhhhhhhhhhh Snaaaaaaap – they got chocolate chip?! As a connoisseur of tasty treats I can assure you that chocolate chip cookies are the for real deal."

After grabbing the cookie, Zero and Maya move out of the storage room and continue on through the outer ring. Maya walks over a button and Zero stops her, pointing down Zero shows Maya that a secret door had just opened. They head down the ladder and come to a hidden room full of containers, and a red loot crate.

The containers contain money and ammo; the loot crate ends up only having guns worth selling. Heading back up the ladder Maya and Zero keep going and come to another storage room. This one doesn't have a challenge crate or barrel, but behind a massive stack of crates covered in cloth, Maya finds another red loot crate. After looting it Maya jumps down off of the massive stack of crates and walks out of the storage room.

Zero blows up a few more challenge barrels, and Maya takes care of a couple Torgue loaders. Heading right into another storage room, Maya bowls up her 3rd challenge box. Taking another sharp right Zero comes to a Torgue Cookies tucked in the corner of the storage room.

Tiny Tina says, "Lotta people thing you gotta eat protein and stuff if you want to strength train, but I'm like pffffffff. Real badasses eat chocolate chip cookies! I'ma get that tattooed across my back in old English font."

After grabbing the cookie, Zero heads out of the storage room followed by Maya. Turning right and heading straight the two Vault Hunters move forward, Zero blows up two more of his challenge barrels and they both encounter and blow up two more Torgue loaders. Walking a distance they turn right into another storage room. After looting the containers, Maya finds a hallway connecting this storage room to another one. Turning left into the hallway both Vault Hunters walk down it prepared for anything.

They come to a generator room. The generator stands tall in the middle of the room connecting both floor and ceiling, glowing with blue electricity and surrounded by a bunch of pipes.

Heading to the opposite side of the room, Maya finds a set of stairs leading to the top of a pipe. Zero climbs it while Maya heads along underneath watching Zero's progress. After finding nothing useful except sellable guns in a red loot crate, Zero jumps back down and they head back to the stairs.

Instead of climbing the stairs, Maya and Zero head left and come to another storage room. This one is empty of challenge stuff, except for a small collection of loot able containers full of money and ammo. Turning left after coming out of the storage room, Maya and Zero see a climbable stack of crates and on top a third Torgue Cookies vending machine.

Tiny Tina says in shock, "WAIT A MINUTE. Those cookies weren't chocolate chip. Those are … raisins. … WHYYYYY HY YYYYY?! SHAWTY, DESTROY ALL THE FOOD DISPENSER! WIPE THE RAISE ABOMINATION OFF THE MAP!"

Backing off the stack of crates, Zero blows up the vending machine. Maya stands there with a genuine tear in her eye.

Tiny Tina yells, "I JUST WANTED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES! WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?"

After heading left to the end of the outer ring, and mopping up both challenges quickly Maya and Zero run back the way they had come – dodging around the crates and cover, taking out the Torgue loaders by popping off their joints with corrosive damage.

Maya comes to the second food dispenser in a storage room, and siren punches the non-living crap out of it.

Torgue exclaims, "Holy SCAGSUCK – someone's destroyin' our food dispensers! In a few months all the workers will probably starve to death! … THAT IS AWESOME!

Tiny Tina retorts, "WHY WOULD YOU EVER MAKE COOKIES THAT AREN'T CHOCOLATE CHIP?! YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELVES TORGUE!"


	7. Chapter 7: CVP Part 3

**A/N: This chapter will be much shorter than the others for a couple of reasons, 1) I don't like making chapters into more than 2 parts 2) the next few chapters will contain a lot of missions and will be up in the 2,000 word count so hold on! More is coming, I promise.**

**Chapter 7: Concocting Various Plans Part 3**

**Mission(s): Eat Cookies and Crap Thunder * Main Mission**

**Battle: The Death Race * Main Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

After that the last food dispenser was easy enough to reach, all Maya and Zero had to do was walk along the outer ring, duck behind cover and use their Resolute Rifles whenever a Torgue loader showed up. Once they got to the second storage room from the entrance to the outer ring, Maya and Zero rid the arena of the filthy raisin cookie abomination. Both firing once with their rifles, Maya and Zero sent two corrosive bullets into the vending machine, and blew it up.

Tiny Tina says, "YEEEESSSS! You did it. No one will have to fall victim to that oatmeal-raisin evil ever again. Come on back, huggabutt."

After completing the montage, Maya and Zero exits the outer ring of the Torgue Arena through the side passageway. They come to a rock wall, and scale it thanks to a conveniently place ladder. Walking forward up a set of steps, Maya summons their Light Runner from the catch-a-ride station.

Zero hops in the driver seat, Maya in the gunner, and they drove off right to Tiny Tina's abode. After parking the Light Runner, and weaving through the half buried bombs near the entrance Maya and Zero turn in the training mission to Tiny Tina.

Tiny Tina tells them, "Your training is complete for now, my ho. Lemme know if you need any more help from a masta. Until then, get to a battle board – Moxxi's foine ass set up some fights that should lure Motor Mamma from hidin'."

Instead of turning the mission into Tina, Maya and Zero learn they have to turn it into a different place. Heading back to their Light Runner, Zero drove them clockwise around the crater on the road.

Torgue yells randomly on the ECHO, "I SEE A LOT OF YOU IDIOTS STANDING AROUND NOT BLOWING STUFF UP! QUITE IT!"

After racing around the track, and eliminating 16 bikes with much pleasure Zero drove up to a starting line sort of station. It looked like the sort of place – built by Torgue – to be both the finish line and the starting position of a racetrack. Getting out of the vehicle Zero walks over to the nearest bounty board and turns in the mission, accepting the new one.

While Zero's not looking Maya switches seats and drives to the edge of the starting line.

Moxxi says, "Alright, sugar – looks like they call this one "The Death Race". You gotta speed across the crater, and kill a bunch of bikers along the way. If you do well, Motor Mamma might lift her shirt for us…metaphorically."

After receiving the instructions from Moxxi, Zero relays them to Maya and hops in the backseat ready to man the gun to take out any naughty bikers who try and stop Maya's progress. They race lasts less than 3 minutes, and Maya manages to drive around the crater along the road twice, but instead of doing that Maya takes a few shortcuts and makes the time limit with time to spare.

Torgue makes another ECHO announcement, "Only the ultimate champion of Pandora can open the Vault! Could YOU be the ultimate champion? PROBABLY NOT! IT'S STATISTICALLY UNLIKELY!"

Zero knows it was exhilarating for Maya, he can tell just by the look on her face. After parking the Light Runner, Maya gets out and starts screaming to try and use up some of the pent up energy. Zero slowly, as to not attract attention, walks away and turns in the mission to the bounty board.


	8. Chapter 8: Antics in the Crater

**Chapter 8: Antics in the Crater**

**Mission(s): Number One Fan * Side Mission**

**Mother-Lover * Side Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

"Ohmygodohmygod. Do you know who just arrived in the Beatdown? SULLY THE STABBER! He's my THIRD favorite mass murder in the entire world! You HAVE to get his autograph for me! Get his signature on this please?"

Maya was at Tiny Tina's place, wondering what she could do to help out her trainer. Tiny Tina is currently holding out a piece of paper pleading for Maya to take it, she does.

Tiny Tina says super excitedly, "OH MY GOD THANK YOU SO MUCH. Sully's out in the Beatdown. Just bring me his autograph and you will be MY FAVOTRITE PERSON EVER. FOREVER."

Maya laughed and after giving Tiny thumbs up walked out of Tiny Tina's abode and hoped inside a rusty looking Light Runner. Zero had disappeared on the pretense of hunting a monster. The grand and certainly crazy Mr. Torgue had given Zero the mission to hunt down a monster in the Southern Raceway.

Maya drove left from Tiny Tina's abode along the Crater's road, to the hill and took two sharp lefts up the slope and then came to the barrier. Maya hopped out of the Light Runner and turning right on the paved road entered the Beatdown.

Maya checked her load out, she had currently equipped on her 4 guns; 1 sniper rifle the Shiah-Shiah Chinook (Jakobs), 1 Shotgun the Leather Bushwack (Jakobs), Zero's incendiary pistol Loaded Greed (Jakobs), and last but certainly not least Zero's rocket launcher the Prudential Norfleet (Maliwan).

The reason why Maya had more Jakobs weapons than Maliwan weapons was because Zero felt like they both needed to take a mission separately. Maya had somewhat grudgingly agreed with this. And when Zero asked her why she was so reluctant, Maya had answered, "I may have my elements, but nothing beats a high powered Jakobs weapon in terms of shear damage!"

In response to this Zero organizes Maya's weapon load out with two elemental weapons and two white (regular bullet) damage Jakobs weapons. Maya seemed to be satisfied with them and now she checks to see that they all have the correct amount of ammo.

Still not willing to give up her love of the elements Maya uses the Loaded Greed to take care of the Burners at the junction. After burning them all to a crisp Maya turns right and heads down towards and area of the road that had sunken in with water, and gave way to a dirt/sand area of the Beatdown.

After thoroughly wasting the Bikers there, Maya turns right and walks through a small cut passage through a building to another similar area but more secluded. Sully the Stabber walks around a cesspool of dirty water. It's wide and long but not terribly deep; a few scant fences ring the cesspool but do absolutely nothing in preventing someone from falling in to the yucky water.

Tiny Tina says, "There's Sully! Now go ask for an autograph oh my god I AM SO NERVOUS!

Maya walks up to Sully the Stabber and asks for his autograph, Sully says in response, "An autograph? PAH! Piss off, chump!"

Tiny Tina, "[on the verge of tears] He said…no? Well. There's only on thing to do – look him in the eye, nod politely, and KILL THE LIVING CRAP OUT OF HIM!"

Maya does just that and Sully manages to get some shotgun shots off forcing Maya to dodge around him.

Tiny Tina yells, "I JUST WANTED AN AUTOGRAPH YOU BIG BULLY!"

A moment later Maya comes up from behind Sully brutally and snaps his neck.

"BOYAH! Thanks for helping me with that, girl. That's why you my main squeeze. Anyway grab that little memento he dropped," Tiny Tina orders.

Maya picks up Sully's head mask, it's orange has spikes on it and looks quite menacing up close.

Tina says, "I may not have gotten an autograph, but that thing's even better, you know what I'm sayin'? Come on back."

Maya then walks all the way back to the entrance of the Beatdown, only to discover a mission posted at the bounty board. Since it was from Scooter, Maya decides to pick it up.

"Hey, Scooter-man's talkin' at ya! There's this sag suckin' little BITCH, name of Hamhock? Moxxi told me he tried to cop a feel on her, so that sumbitch has gotta DIE! Now I hired a few extra trigger men to deal with this rakk-tapping ass just in case, but I thought I'd give my old pal first dibs on him, you know what I'm sayin'? You and I are besties you know that."

Sighing only slightly at Scooter's craziness, Maya walks back to the junction turns right and heads a little ways down the road.

Moxxi says urgently, "Wait – don't kill Hamhock! I…stretched the truth when I told Scooter when he tried to cop a feel. Hamhock's no angel, but I was drunk and honestly what happened was pretty consensual. Like … four to five basses of consensual. He's what I propose – you take out the other hit men Scooter hired and you let Hamhock live. Sound good?"

Scooter then asks, "Hey! Why ain't you kill Hamhock yet? You know he used his brother's spine as a skipin' rope don't ya? He went to the national championships with the damn thing! Besides, I'll reward the hell out of you once you deep six him gosh damn!"

Faced with a sudden choice Maya goes with the option she likes better: Maya decides to help Moxxi instead of Scooter. Not because she didn't like Scooter…well it's because Maya always thought he came off a bit, unhinged. Moxxi on the other hand, Maya loved that type of unhinged – mainly the constant slipping in of innuendos. And the fact that Moxxi seemed to call only Maya Sugar, and simply called all the other Vault Hunter's by their names.

Maya turns around and heads down, past the junction (four way intersection) and comes to the curved road. Down near the secret entrance to Pyro Pete's lair, Maya sees four gunmen milling about sort of lazily. Taking out the Norfleet Maya pulls the trigger once and three e-tech orbs of pure destruction launch out of the gun.

Moxxi says, "Thanks for helping me out, babe. Scooter means well but he tends to…overreact when he doesn't like my boyfriends. Come on back when you're ready."

After that Maya turns around again, heads to the junction, turns right, and heads to the fast travel station. By now Zero should have come back from his mission, and Maya decides to abandon the dust colored Light Runner.

After fast traveling to Moxxi's bar, Maya walks up to Moxxi and turns in the mission, admiring Moxxi's look along the way.

Moxxi says, "Thanks, Sugar. Now I wonder if Hamhock is still interested in mixing a few baseball metaphors, if you catch my drift.**"**

After turning in the mission to Moxxi Maya walks out of the Badass Crater Bar and discovers that Zero is not there to greet her. Slightly disappointed and only half worried that something might have happened to him, Maya heads to the catch-a-ride station and summons another dust colored Light Runner.

Maya, now feeling the weight of Zero's absence, drives along the crater's road and off it to Tiny Tina's domain.

Tiny Tina then says, as Maya turns in the mission, "Sully was me third favorite murder. You know who my number one is? It's you! Aw how sweet. I'ma throw up."


	9. Chapter 9: Stalling for Time Part 1

**Author's Note: Okay I'd like to be upfront and say, I'm not 100% sure I'll do every single side mission. I kind of feel like I have to, mainly because one or more of you reading my story don't have access to the DLC. That and I have a tendency to make my stories much longer, like around 50 chapters. Granted, Primed For Extinction Part 2 will only run as long as the DLC keeps feeding me missions but still. Next chapter will be three more side missions then we should be getting to the main mission. Why am I including so many side missions? In case you missed it in the summary, I will be basing the – mainly the MayaxZero – story arc on all the missions contained within the DLC…at least until I complete the last main mission. Just let me know in a review if the quality of the storytelling is degrading with all the side missions, I'm trying to make 'em all interesting with some MayaxZero. But if you tell me otherwise I'll definitely … include some smut … but only if you want some.**

**Chapter 9: Stalling For Time Part 1**

**Mission(s): Monster Hunter * Side Mission**

**Gas Guzzlers * Side Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

Zero stands at the arena's bounty board accepting a mission from Torgue, "Listen up, Vault Hunter! A monster is hiding out somewhere in the crater. It's big, deadly, and totally awesome! GO KILL IT!"

Maya walks up to Zero and asks him if he wants to go help Tiny Tina with some missions. Zero declines with, "Not right now thank you / I must go hunt a monster / it'll be a challenge."

After explaining the mission was from Torgue to Maya in her native language, Zero managed to slip away and also snagged another mission from the bounty board. Not bothering to look at the extra mission, Zero went left from the bounty board and jumped off a ledge onto a catch-a-ride station.

After summoning the blue shield Light Runner, Zero drove forward then turned left driving through the gauntlet like town area. After exiting it Zero drove straight across the sands up a slope then after a little ways turned slightly left down a sort of corridor built into the sides of the rock.

Coming to the end Zero passes through a doorway, and comes to an area called the Southern Raceway. Driving out onto a sloped track, Zero drives down and slightly to the right. He encounters a pair of bikes but one of them is a Boom bike and he takes care of it pretty quickly thereby blowing up the other bike in the process. After taking care of the immediate threat, Zero drives right and comes to an area full of ramps set up against rocky ridges. In the middle of the area is an empty warehouse. Zero drives further into the area and encounters the monster.

Zero drives up to the empty warehouse, and ahead of him a ramp leads from a ledge over the rocky formation and into the air. Above the ramp is a structure with two large pipes spewing rather large jets of flame. A huge truck suddenly drives off the ramp and lands in the same dusty ground as Zero.

Torgue exclaims, "Oh SNAP! The monster I sent you to kill is actually a monster TRUCK! PUNS, MOTHERF*CKER!"

Zero had to drive around the warehouse with the monster truck chasing him before an idea dawned on him. Zero drove around a rocky ledge then jumped a ramp to the opposite and lower ridge. The monster truck drove down the ravine aiming its mounted guns at Zero.

Zero backed up the Light Runner and smashed the mounted guns to scrap metal. Zero then drove off the monster truck sticking a Torgue MIRV grenade to the underside of the truck by roll bouncing it under the monster truck's chasse. The grenade exploded and all the child grenades ripped the monster truck into shreds of metal, oil, and rock from the surrounding dirt.

Torgue says, "Good job pounding that puny piece of sh*t to the dirt. Come on back ducksucka."

After killing the monster truck for Torgue, Zero decides to check out that other mission he had picked up. Zero's third favorite person, behind himself and Maya, greets him when he turns on the ECHO.

What hoe! It's your old chum, Sir Hammerlock with a quest for you. There appears to be a new species of rack somewhere in the amusingly named Badass Crater of Badassitude. Go find these creatures, would you?

After getting the mission from Sir Hammerlock Zero inspects his minimap trying to gauge where the creatures would be hiding out. Studying the map – because the location wasn't marked – Zero finds an area that would be a natural place for roosting Rakk.

Driving out of the area he was currently in, Zero comes to the raceway and drives right going along the pre-paved road. After passing under a checkpoint archway he drives for a bout 20 more feet, then comes to the spot. Jumping out Zero heads left through a surprisingly large yet tight opening in the rock.

Zero walks through it and runs to the middle of a ravine. Rakks come flying up out of the rocks and circle around up above, a few streaking down towards Zero in for the kill. Zero taking no precautions except pulling out a sniper rifle with an exceptionally large magazine, practiced his skills by hitting the flying creatures in the head. The first one went down.

Sir Hammerlock then exclaims, "That Rakk dropped an oil sack! Grab it for me would you? I can use it to study the Rakk's altered genetics."

"Ha I'll alter your genetics with my FIST, Hammernock! Those Rakk are guzzling gasoline, also as Pandora's only freakin' power source. We gotta kill 'em not study 'em yo!" Scooter states.

After that Zero manages, over the course of a few minutes, take down the 10 Rakks who were stupid enough to come out of hiding they all dropped a sac, and picks up about six of them.

Scooter then says, "Yo, V-hunt! I may not know as many five dollar words as Professor Moustache over there, but I know what scares me. One: Rakk. Two: genetic researchin'. Three: GENETICLY ENHANCED RAKK! Gimme those oils sack so Hammerlock can't create a race of super Rakks man!"

"The overenthusiastic mechanic is panicking over nothing, my dear friend. If you return the sacs to me I shan't be engaging in any frankensteinian genetic manipulation – such hobbies lay exclusively within the proverbial of Dr. Zed," Sir Hammerlock says.

Scooter yells, "OH STOP TALKIN' LIKE A DOUCHE!"

"Touché," Hammerlock agrees.

Zero, after looting a few of the Rakks of money, picks up the last four sacs.

Sir Hammerlock says, "You've collected enough sacs. Now, please return them to me."

Scooter disagrees, "Nuh-uh. One word Vaultman: genetically-engineired-super-rakk. … There's a shit load of hyphens in there, but technically it's one word. Anyway, send them sacs my way instead of Hammie's."

Faced with a decision Zero hops in the Light Runner and turning around drives back along the raceway to the entrance leading back into the crater.

After making it back through the gauntlet town and to the Crater's bounty board, Zero turns in the mission from Torgue, who says, "[like a guitar solo] Niicley dooooone!"

After turning in the mission from Torgue, Zero drives out of the gauntlet town straight onto the crater road then turns right. After following the road through another arch checkpoint Zero turns left into a catch-a-ride station.

After getting out Zero goes back and stands by the track, looking left he sees a dust colored Light Runner driving away. Thinking that it must be an inhabitant of the Crater, and not Maya Zero pays no more attention to it and then walks into Moxxi's bar. In there under the low defused light, stands Hammerlock on the ground level standing at the end of a line of tables to the right of Zero.

To Zero's left however, and standing in some more shadows in the raised part of the bar is Scooter. Making his decision he hands in the mission to Scooter, ignoring their responses Zero accepts the loot and attempts to look for Maya. After asking Moxxi who tells him that Maya just left a minute or two ago muttering something about doing another mission, Zero thinks to himself that since Maya seems to be doing her own training schedule he might as well do his.

Heading back to the arena's bounty board Zero Grabs one more mission.


	10. Chapter 10: Stalling for Time Part 2

**Chapter 10: Stalling For Time Part 2**

**Mission(s): Matter of Taste * Side Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

"[Cough] BuffGamer here. Today I'm reviewing "Diamond Mercenaries 2." They gameplay's pretty dull, it sucked. Six out of ten."

Torgue then explodes, "F*CKING WHAT? DIAMOND MERCENARIES 2 WAS AWESOME! VAULT HUNTER FIND THAT A*SSHOLE AND KILL HIM BECAUSE I DISAGREE WITH HIS REVIEW SCORE."

Zero accepts the mission with a chuckle to himself, despite the distance this place was putting between him and Maya the assassin was still enjoying himself. After accepting the mission Zero hops in the Light Runner and drives back through the town and straight onwards down the canyon like tunnel out into the Southern Raceway.

After driving past the catch-a-ride station near the entrance to the Southern Raceway, Zero takes a hard right and drives straight over the side of a slope and between two rock ridges. After driving for a short ways Zero comes to a two way split in the path. To the right Zero could still drive his vehicle.

But Zero, after taking a look at his minimap, hops out of the Light Runner and heads left through a vehicle barrier. Zero walks down across sandy rocky ground and after 10 feet passes through another gate like structure but with no gate.

Torgue yells, "I RESENT YOU FOR DISLIKING A GAME I SPENT MONEY ON! TIME TO DIE!"

Zero walks down a slope and enters the abode of the ECHOnet reviewers.

"Aw, crap! BOYS! SOMBODY DISSAGREED WITH THE REVIEW!" BuffGamer exclaims.

Staying back near the entrance Zero uses his sniper and takes out a few bikers stationed around two buildings connected by a bridge suspended 10 something feet off the dusty rocky floor. After eliminating the bikers near the front of the area, Zero decides to take the high ground and walks up a set of steps. Crossing the bridge Zero stays on the right side of the canyon area and makes his way along to what his minimap shows to be the back of the canyon.

Zero passed among metal sheet shacks and walked up a few metal staircases. Just before he came to the area indicated by his map to be the abode of BuffGamer Zero lazily but professionally tosses a singularity grenade over the side of the rocky ledge covered in metal plates to the sandy floor below.

The screams of ECHOnet reviewers rise up to Zero's ears. Coming to a hut built on metal legs with a ladder leading up to it, Zero takes cover behind a metal leg and leans to the left of the leg. Bullets fly at him and Zero, using his un-parralled skills with the sniper – almost un-parralled except for Mordicai – he takes out the gamers one by one.

BuffGamer turns out to look like just another biker, but about Zero's size instead of the mutated looking variants.

"YOU SAID DIAMOND MERCHINARIES 2 SUCKED BUT YOU GAVE IT SIX OUT OF TEN WHICH IMPLIES IT IS ABOVE AVERAGE!" Torgue yells.

With his last breath BuffGamer replies, "It was just my opinion …"

After killing BuffGamer Zero mops up the rest of the ECHOnet reviewers, their heads exploding with satisfying critical hits.

Another head game reviewer then says, "Please … just leave! You've already killed BuffGamer, just leave us alone!"

Torgue then laments, "Eh – he's got a point. Head on back, Vault Hunter."

Zero accepting that the mission is more than likely over; heads back the way he came. After getting halfway to the entrance Zero is suddenly stopped and told to go back.

The Game Critic says, "Thanks, Vault Hunter. All this violence was more pointless than the stealth sections of "Triangle Quest 9"."

"I TAKE IT BACK. KILL THEM ALL. THE STEALTH SECTIONS OF TRIANLGE QUEST 9 WERE A GREAT CHANGE OF PACE FROM THE REGULAR GAMEPLAY! BURN IN HELL, YOU BASTARDS!" Torgue bellows.

Zero heads back to the place where he had killed BuffGamer, taking out the rest of the ECHOnet reviewers along the way. Game Critic turns out to looking surprisingly similar to BuffGamer and is dispatched in much the same manner.

"THAT'LL TEACH YOU TO HOLD AN OPINION CONTRARY TO MINE!" Torgue yells again.

After eliminating Gamer Critic Zero takes out the last of the ECHOnet reviewers.

Torgue then says rather calmly, "That's that – those tasteless bastards are gone. Come on back whenever you're ready!"

Meanwhile Maya is back at Tiny Tina's abode, accepting one last mission from her trainer before the now inevitable fight with Motor Mamma.'

Tiny Tina says, "I just bot a puppyyyyyy! His name is Enrique and he is as adorable as a mothahumpa. Do me a flava and take him for a walk, wouldja? It'd help with your training and give Enrique some exercise. I'll mark his location on your ECHO thingy."

After accepting the mission from Tiny Tina Maya drives along the crater road past the Badass Crater Bar to Enrique's location. Maya comes to a shack built on top of a cage. In the cage sits a skag covered in flames, seeming to be built out of them.

Tiny Tina exclaims excitedly, "There he is! To properly walk Enrique, you just gotta open his cage and lead him through some of his favorite spots. But be careful – he is a very affectionate puppy and he'll love your FACE off if you don't stay ahead of him."

Maya gets out of the dusty Light Runner, flits to Enrique's cage opens it, then immediately jumps back.

"RUN, VAULT HUNTER! RUN LIKE THE MOTHERHUMIN' WIND!" Tiny Tina bellows.

Panicking slightly Maya then begins the nightmarish task of walking Enrique. All she has to do is run trough the blazing hot sun, run across a lot of hot sand, and avoid getting hit by flaming jets of fire from Tiny Tina's dog who's made of fire. The bandits seem to have abandoned the crater at the moment, and Maya is left alone – regrettably – with the flaming dog/skag Enrique.

Maya makes it past Enrique's first favorite spot, with the dog following close behind.

Tiny Tina says encouragingly, "Keep those legs up Vault Hunter! You're doin' ace!"

Torgue then yells randomly over the announcement system, "BY SIGHNING UP FOR THE TORGUE BADASS TORNAMENT YOU LEGALLY GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO CRY, EAT TOFU, AND WATCH MOVIES WHERE PEOPLE KISS IN THE RAIN AND SH*T!"

Maya's now in a full out sprint unaided by her powers. Even though she could've gone much faster but she didn't want to electrocute poor Enrique. After about fifty feet of sprinting across nothing but lightly packed sand Maya passes another one of Enrique's spots.

Tiny Tina commands, "Whatever happens don't look back!"

Maya almost looks back to see the cause of her death, but Tiny Tina stops her with a screech, "I SAID DON'T!"

Now it was just about trying to survive the torture, Maya's legs burned, all her muscles ached from dodging Enrique's jets of flame. The slope Maya had to then run down made no difference, in fact it may have made it worse.

"If you can move this fast in the arena you'll be UNSTOPPABLE!" Tiny Tina exclaims.

Maya practically flies down the slope almost running into one of the small buildings next to the catch-a-ride station in front of the Badass Crater Bar.

"You're nearly done, pump those legs girl!" Tina says encouragingly.

Maya now halfway to insanity nearly turns on a dime and sprints desperately to the right back to Enrique's cage. Maya makes it back just in time to jump behind her parked Light Runner.

Tiny Tina then says in her puppy voice, but then switches to her normal voice, "Who's a tired little puppy? It's Enrique! Yes it is! Good job, girl. Enrique looks good and pooped. Come on back whenever you're done."

Feeling very pissed off, Maya moves her Light Runner back a ways then taking out the Norfleet fires three projectiles at Enrique sleeping outside his cage. He explodes in hot blood and flaming flesh, and a grin stretches itself across Maya's crazy face.

"Damn girl, that's my puppy and he was already tired out. I like it," Tiny Tina then realizes her puppy is dead. "ENRIQQQQUEEEE! WHYYYYYY? … Well, that's that. Who wants ice cream?"

Maya because she blew up her dusty Light Runner with the Norfleet ends up having to walk all the way back to Tiny Tina – since she's to crazed to remember any of the catch-a-ride stations along the way.

Despite Maya's attempt at pure fury Tiny Tina still celebrates, "PIZOWWWWWW!"


	11. Chapter 11: Not Enough Wanted-ness

**Chapter 11: Not Enough Wanted-ness**

**Mission(s): Everybody Wants to be Wanted * Side Mission (NC)**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

Feeling a bit lonelier than usual Maya decides to head on over to Moxxi's bar to get something to drink. After arriving Maya pays for two bottles of whiskey and goes to a table sitting down setting both whiskies in front of her.

On a hunch Zero decides to head on over to Moxxi's bar to see if he can find Maya. Low and behold there she sits all alone at a table with two still full bottles. Zero walks over and sits down across from Maya. A red question mark appears hovering over Zero's visor and Maya sighs.

Getting up from the table Maya takes both bottles back to Moxxi and says, "Hey Moxxi can you hold these for me an' Zero? Just until we're about done with the tournament." After Moxxi takes the two bottles and hides them away in agreement, Maya requests a mission from her.

The Mad Moxxi speaks, "It's time for the other gladiators to get scared, sugar. Scared of you. I stole some of the wanted posters printed about you Vault Hunters. Plaster them around the Arena so the other gladiators know exactly what you're capable of."

After accepting the mission from Moxxi both Maya and Zero decide to do it together – mainly for mutual support when they have to place a poster besides their own. They head to the fast travel station located within the Badass Crater Bar and Zero transports him and Maya to the Southern Raceway.

After digistructing Maya and Zero jog across the road and diagonally to the right arriving at a catch-a-ride station. Zero summons their Blue Light Runner and Maya hops in the driver seat while Zero takes the gunner's position. Maya drives forward and turns right coming to the same intersection Zero had encountered earlier that day. Deciding to go right Maya spins the wheel and they pass through a gate like arch constructed out of metal.

After driving a short distance Maya parks the Light Runner and jumps out. Zero moves ahead and Maya watching their six follows behind him. The two Vault Hunters move through a gate blocking the path of a vehicle and pass under another arch metal pipe structure set high above – to the right it connects to a metal silo with a giant Torgue banner hung down its side to the left it connects to the ground by curving at 90 degrees and descending into the earth. On the horizontal top part of the metal arch constructed out of pipes and metal are 4 smaller pipes jutting vertically and spewing flame.

Maya and Zero come to a wide-open area with a metal structure vaguely resembling a building turned inside out with small metal huts to contain people and metal sheets and railings for walkways. After revealing themselves by tossing a singularity grenade which pulls and explodes several bikers after pulling them off a main walkway connecting the main metal structure with a smaller one off to the right of the main one.

Next Zero uses his sniper and Maya switches to her Jakobs shotgun, Zero takes out a lot of the smaller and annoying biker enemies with headshots while simultaneously providing enough cover fire for Maya allowing her to rush in and using her powers with her shotgun, eliminate the much bigger enemies.

After taking out the enemies on ground floor Zero and Maya rush to the main metal structure to wipe out the rest – and to place the poster. Not all the bandits come out however, and only 20 are stupid enough to get in the way of Maya and her shotgun. After clearing out most of the bandits that came out of hiding Maya finds the place to place the poster. From top to bottom: Wanted, Maya's mug shot, MAYA, _Siren,_ $720,000,000,000.

Moxxi comments on Maya's poster making the siren redden slightly, "Can you say "ladybonner"?"

Maya and Zero backtrack to the intersection and Zero leads Maya into the area of the ECHOnet reviewers. Since Zero had already cleaned out the place it's a simply run up the left most set of stairs nearest the entrance and place Axton's poster on the marked spot of wall.

From top to bottom: WANTED, Axton's mug shot, AXTON, _War Crimes,_ $5,000,000,000.

After a near inhuman barley suppressed scream of grief from Maya, Moxxi comments on Axton's poster, "I'm not usually one for military men, but I gotta say 'rowr'." Maya turns away and whispers, "He's too damn beautiful to become human bacon."

After placing Axton's poster Maya and Zero head out of the ECHOnet reviewers abode, hop back in the Blue Light Runner and Maya drives off. Turning right as she comes to the racing road Maya drives forward until Zero tells her to turn right and head into the are where he says he, "Fought a monster truck / I pulverized it to dust / and it now lies dead."

Maya after burns off a ramp and lands in the middle of biker territory. Then Zero uses mad skills with the turret to spike the engines of many of the bikes causing their drivers to run into another bike thereby eliminating two bikes with one explosion. After about 10 minutes of eliminating 20 or so bikes the area around them is rendered deathly still and quite.

Maya drives to the bunker / garage in the middle of the are and getting out of the Blue Light Runner places Salvador's long poster on the outside wall of the structure. From top to bottom: Wanted, Salvador's picture, SALVADOR, _Manslaughter, Theft, Arson, Destruction of Property, Trespassing, Cannibalism, Public Indecency, Profanity_, $99,000,000,000.99.

Moxxi then comments on Salvador's poster, while the two Vault Hunter's just stare in silence at the face of their now lost friend, "Ah, the gunzerker. Frightening, yet … hairy."


	12. Chapter 12: Motor Momma Showdown

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the support so far. We're nearing the length of Part 1, but we're not quite done yet. Hold, on we have like several chapters left.**

**Chapter 12: Motor Momma Showdown**

**Chapter(s): Everybody Wants to be Wanted * Side Mission**

**Get Your Motor Running * Main Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

Maya and Zero stand there stare at the poster and are interrupted in their silence by Motor Momma, "Oh, hi! I'm Motor Mamma, and I've seen you've been trying to get my attention. If you like, we could fight each other and see which of us is the best! Sound fun? I'll be waitin' for ya!"

Mad Moxxi comments, "Don't let her voice throw ya Motor Mamma is a stone-cold psychopath. I don't want to get too graphic, but let's just say she eats her own children."

After placing Salvador's poster both Vault Hunters hop back in their Light Runner and Maya takes them, after turning slightly to the left, straight onward to their next objectives. Maya comes to a metal wall and instead of plowing through it she turns left by 90 degrees.

Maya drives forward another 10 feet and comes to a set of metal gates blocking their vehicle's progress. Getting out of the Light Runner both Vault Hunters make sure they have enough ammo then they trudge forward. After passing through the gate they go perhaps 15 feet then turn right heading along side the descending rock structure.

Torgue then comes on the ECHO, "The Vault Hunter is going after Motor Momma for the number three spot on the Torgue leaderboard! I'm glad SOMBODY is making an effort to fight other gladiators! The rest of you horks are just sitting around waiting for challenges to come to you! P*SSIES!"

After traveling 20 feet Maya and Zero come upon two metal structures very similar to what they had encountered before. Except there were two separate ones; the first being up against the left wall of rock, and the second being up against the metal wall on the right.

Bandits patrolled on the convoluted metal structures and on the sand as well, using a slightly similar strategy except as last time – except both Vault Hunters used sniper rifles – Maya and Zero managed to take out the 15 something assorted bandit group residing in each metal structure.

Seeing that one of their objectives was further along and between the metal and rock walls, Maya and Zero headed to the next are. The next are, which was filled with bandits, had a metal structure stretched along the rocky wall – farthest away from them was a part of the metal structure containing a water tower and a pipe running into the structure and into the rock wall.

Around the ground middle area and up against the metal wall, there were a few huts built out of metal walls. The metal hut nearest Maya and Zero was missing half of its structure due to what must have been a pretty big explosion. A great chunk of wall and ceiling were missing from the otherwise intact structure.

The one following the bombed out one in the middle of the area seemed to be intact. The metal hut along the metal wall was simply constructed to have only three walls and a ceiling…but not floor. The bandits in this area kept to the metal structure and wove inside and around the metal huts.

Because of this Maya and Zero decided to switch to more close quarters weapons. Maya chose her Jakobs shotgun and blew holes in the bandit's chests. Zero ran around invisible popping the bandit's heads with his Judge pistol – which wasn't incendiary allowing Zero to get caught less often.

The fight amongst the metal huts went a lot less smoothly then the fight along the two levels of the metal structure. With the structure Maya had to constantly lift the bandits off the upper level with her powers and fling them off. Eventually after what must have seemed like an hour of rigorous fighting – and just when Maya and Zero nearly ran out of shotgun and pistol ammo – the last bandit fell dead with a scream.

Heading to the intact Metal hut Maya goes to the side of the hut facing opposite of where they came in. From top to bottom: WANTED, Zero's mug shot, ZERO, _Political Assassination,_ $32,000,000,000.

Moxxi then comments on Zero's wanted poster, "The crowd loves a man of mystery. And so do I, for that matter."

A biker then stats talking, "Holy skagspit – those Vault Hunter's are serious badasses. But…it don't matter! We'll kill ya anyway, right guys? Right?"

Moxxi cuts him off, "You're all done, sweethearts. The gladiators in the arena oughtta know who their messing with now. Come on back."

After placing the final poster Maya and Zero backtrack to the first area with the two metal structures on either side. They head up into the structure up against the metal wall, and while Zero goes slower keeping some sort of a lookout in case more bandits show up Maya rushes up multiple sets of stairs until she comes to the top floor.

On the floor she finds a switch and flips it. After doing that Maya decides to follow the power cables back to the locked gate leading to Motor Mamma. Zero joins Maya after a moment and they head back along the way they had come.

Motor Momma finally speaks to the Vault Hunters, "I must say I'm really looking forward to our fight. I've been waiting to fight a real warrior, and having watched you in action I truly believe that you will make me work hard before I ultimately kill you and devour your body."

Maya and Zero make it back to their Light Runner and Zero hops in this time, Maya takes the backseat and tells Zero to follow the power cables. Zero obliges and follows them through the previously bike infested area, and back onto the racetrack. Zero drives past the place where previously he had eliminated the large amount of Rakks.

Moxxi then begins a sort of pre fight talk, "Be careful – Motor Momma loves vehicles. That's what attracted her to me in the first place. Oh did I mention we dated for a while? Had to break it off once she devoured one of my girlfriends alive. No one eats my lady friends but me – oh god. To far. That was in bad taste, vomited in my mouth a little bit. Sorry the innuendo talk is a defense mechanism."

Zero drives to the end of the racetrack and comes to a set of metal gates that blocked the vehicle's access and their access as well. Once Maya and Zero got out of the Light Runner however and made their way towards the gate it parted to the sides before them. The area that lay ahead was a sandy hill curving down and to the right, scattered among the slope was numerous metal objects to hide behind and near the end of the slope was a few scant small metal structured huts.

Momma Rioter's ran towards them head on, waving their buzzaxes and laughing. One said as he died, "I regret everything!" Another said, "But the cakes we were going to bake!" As a fourth ran towards Maya as she rounded the curve in the slope he yelled, "You can't kill me I'm already dead tomorrow!"

Zero comes up from behind Maya and moving to the side uses his sniper rifle to take out a few bikers hidden amongst the scant metal hut structures. As Maya advanced on Motor Momma arena she checked her ammo and the surrounding crates. After laughing thinking herself silly for worrying about ammo, Maya pulls out her Sand Hawk.

Zero swaps Maya a Pearlescent Torgue rocket launcher for his lovely Norfleet. As Maya grins, both her and Zero toting their rocket launchers, she walks pas the ammo and health vending machines into Motor Mamma's arena.

Motor Mamma then starts talking from somewhere, "Oh – I nearly forgot to mention! If you would like me to not eat you until after you are dead I understand and respect your wishes. I will also completely ignore them."

On the far side of the arena the very rotund Motor Mamma is lowered from a chain attached to a winch.

"I'm so glad you could make it! I'm gonna kill you and make sandwiches out of your corpse!" Motor Momma says.

Motor Momma detaches herself from the chain and drops onto her large – with twin mini guns – bike.

Torgue then announces, "It's that time again. Motor Momma verses the Vault Hunter! FIGHT! And the fight begins. For color commentary I am now joined via ECHO by the Vault Hunter's manager Moxxi!"

"Pleasure to be here Torgue!" Moxxi says enthusiastically.

"Motor Momma is one of the deadliest gladiators this planet has ever seen, Moxxi. What makes you think your Vault Hunter has a chance?" Torgue asks.

Simple, Torgue. Motor Momma may have a chip on her shoulder and a gut full of baby flesh, but my Vault Hunter survived a run in with Handsome Jack himself.

Torgue then exclaims (both Vault Hunters are running around avoiding Motor Momma's bike trying to line up their shots), "Holy SH*TSOCKS that's impressive! Ladies and gents, this is gonna be a hell of a match!"

Both Vault Hunters aim their rocket launchers carefully and time their shots; Maya's e-tech metal ball of pure explosives collides and catches with all three e-tech orbs of pure fire and they collide with Motor Momma's bike obliterating her and her bike as well.

"THE VAULT HUNTER WINS!" Torgue yells.

"What'd I tell ya?" Moxxi exclaims.

"Ladies and gents, the Vault Hunter is now the number THREE badass on Pandora! THIS IS ONE NUMBER HIGHER THAN FOUR!" Torgue bellows.

"Well, uh…well said," Moxxi, says.

"YOUR KIND WORDS ARE APPRECIATED!" Torgue responds.

Moxxi then addresses the Vault Hunters, but mainly Maya, "Hey sugar, come on back when you're done over there."

Maya and Zero head back the way they had come.

Piston then greets them via ECHO, "So you got the number three ranking. But you know what you don't got? A body fat level of under one percent. How many pecs do you have? Two? I have thirteen! You are nothin' compared to me."

Zero is now driving along the racetrack.

Tiny Tina then comments, "Shawty I was watching you fight Motor Momma and I just wanna say – damn, girl. You. Is. A pimp. I just…MM."

Zero makes it back out to the crater driving the Light Runner with Maya chilling in the back seat.

"You know what you are to me, kid? You're a tick I can't burn off. You're an itch I can't quite scratch. You're a piece goddamn broccoli stuck in my teeth. But soon, I'm gonna get rid of you for good!" Piston taunts.

Tiny Tina retorts, "You ain't broccoli. … Broccoli tastes like butt."

After making it back to the Crater's bar, Maya and Zero finish off the two bottles of whiskey in celebration. After turn in the two missions to Moxxi they decide to head in for the night.

For the poster mission Moxxi says, "A picture is worth a thousand words. Or in your case the word 'kill' repeated a thousand times."

And on their victor over Motor Momma she says, "Time to go for the number two ranking sugar. I've tracked down number two by the name of Flyboy in the Forge."


	13. Chapter 13: Just Another Day

**Chapter 13: Just Another Day**

**Mission(s): Interview with a Vault Hunter * Side Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

"Hey, sugar. I did a few promo interviews to talk you up before your big fight with Piston, but it sounds like they went missing. Go find 'em wouldja?" Moxxi asks.

Piston says in response, "Gee – I wonder who stole and hide the interview tapes. Oh wait, I just remembered – me, baby. Piston doesn't want any competition on the airwaves, you dig?

After getting the mission from Moxxi Zero heads out into the Crater to pick up the interview tapes. Maya is sleeping in trying to get rid of her hangover – last night she had downed not one but … let's just say Maya went heavy on the whiskey. It seemed last night's festivities and the drinking was meant for something other than just celebration at another job well done.

Zero had yet to ask the siren what was wrong, if anything was wrong. The assassin had decided to leave Maya alone for a moment and keep himself busy until she felt like getting up. After heading out of the bar, Zero heads straight across the mini car graveyard and digistructs a dust colored Light Runner.

Zero had left the Blue Light Runner over at Tiny Tina's place – which was where Maya was currently passing the migraine time with Tina. Turning right out of the catch-a-ride station and onto the Crater's racetrack, Zero goes forward past the nearest checkpoint.

Zero keeps driving and ends up jumping a low small rocky ridge and lands in another catch-a-ride station. Hopping out of the dust Light Runner Zero turns around and attends the vending machines for ammo for him and Maya, plus some of Zed's new regenerating medical hypos.

After stocking up on supplies Zero turns around again and walks forward across the sand and through a barrier gate. Two rock ledges hang overhead cloaking the area in shadow, Zero moves silently and fluidly down the canyon. Eventually Zero comes to the area which surrounds the entrance to the Forge, instead of going into the Forge to fight Flyboy Zero decides to just pick up the interview.

Zero uses his Jacobs sniper rifle the Tum-Tum Buffalo Gun, and expertly – with only iron sights no scope – eliminates the 3 Bikers around the small metal structure and other oddities, including a shack or two scattered about the Forge entrance.

6 Biker Rioters come running at Zero from out of hiding all in one group, hoping to overwhelm the assassin. Zero takes out Maya's new gun – a gift Zero would be giving to Maya once she had gotten over last light's revelry – the Slag Kitten and tears through the bikers like they're nothing.

After eliminating the enemies, Zero heads forward and left and finds the first interview recorder sitting up against the back of a shack next to a closed toilet. Zero picks it up and listens in while walking back to the dust Light Runner.

[Begin tape 1]

Torgue: Moxxi, the fans say your Vault Hunter is a coward. How do you respond to that?

Mad Moxxi: I don't, sugar. You just watch my Vault Hunter in the ring – you watch the way they turn die-hard badasses into tear soaked cream puffs, and you tell me they're a coward. You wanna know who the real coward is? A little scardycat named Piston. He's a cheat and a liar, and he better start being scared because my Vault Hunter – oh boy they're coming for ya.

Torgue: You sound pretty confident!

Mad Moxxi: Bet on it, kids – by the end of this tournament, the Vault Hunter will spill Piston's blood.

[End tape 1]

Zero hopes back in the dust Light Runner and drives along the Crater's racetrack, before reaching the catch-a-ride station in front of the Badass Crater Bar Zero takes a sharp left turn. He drives up the slope, past two ramps built on a rocky ledge and into a recess in the Crater's wall.

Torgue then does another one of his random announcements, "AT THE SOUND OF THE EXPLOSION IT WILL BE TORGUE O' CLOCK! [Explosion noise Mr. Torgue makes with his mouth]"

On either side of the area against the walls are two mobile homes stuck in the sand, both with mailboxes out in front of them. Whether or not anyone still lives in the homes Zero doesn't find out, because in front of him carved into the wall at the back of the area is an open garage.

On the right side of the exterior of the garage, hidden behind a metal support sheet Zero finds the second interview log.

[Begin tape 2]

Torgue: The odds aren't in your Vault Hunter's favor, Moxxi – what makes you think they'll survive?

Mad Moxxi: You ever heard of a guy named Captain Flynt?

Torgue: The King of the Rippers?

Mad Moxxi: He was – until he met the Vault Hunter. Sugar, my Vault Hunter has laughed at Handsome Jack, defeated the Bloodshots, killed Pyro Peat, and singly handedly defeated more of Pandora's horrors than every one else in this tournament put together. If anybody has a chance of surviving this tournament – hell, surviving life on this planet – it's them."

[End tape 2]

After listening to the second interview Zero drives back down to the Crater's racetrack and drove towards the Arena clockwise around the Crater. After realizing that he needed to go right, Zero abandoned the road took a sharp right turn and drove off the rock ledge into the middle of the gauntlet town stretched out in front of the Arena.

Zero then – driving among and around the buildings – systematically runs over and squishes, pulverizes, and flattens 30 some odd scared shitless Bikers. After that Zero drives up the slope to the Arena and turns right and then slightly left as he comes to the right side of the arena.

Parking the now bloody covered dusty Light Runner Zero jumps out the left side and snatches up the third interview log off of a crate.

[Begin tape 3]

Torgue: Moxxi, is there anything you would like to say to the people listening?

Mad Moxxi: You better believe it. I've got a message to the other gladiators in the tournament. Just one tine tiny message. Motor Momma, Flyboy, Piston, if you have any desire to survive this tournament, you'll listen very carefully.

Torgue: And that message is?

Mad Moxxi: Run.

[End tape 3]

After listening to the third interview log, Zero drives up the slope and turns slightly to the right and heads past the catch-a-ride station straight into the crater wall. Not exactly into the wall, but right into and on top of a large group of suicide psychos standing around and in front of another cave garage carved into the Crater wall.

Zero hurriedly backs up, and the live grenades left over from the suicide psychos blows up the two bikes that land on them coming out of the cave garage. Next to a washing machine, leaning up against the side of a mobile home stuck in the sand is the fourth interview log. Zero picks it up and listens to it on his way to the fifth and last interview log.

[Begin tape 4]

Torgue: Moxxi, the Torgue fight fans wanna know –

Tiny Tina: Moxxi, MOXXI! I wanna be on the show.

Mad Moxxi: Tina – DOWN, Tina.

Tiny Tina: I'm be on the show. I'ma be the star of the show.

Torgue: Moxxi who the hell is that?

Mad Moxxi: Just a trainer I hired. Don't worry about her –

Tiny Tina: IT'S A TV SHOW STARING ME TINY TINA. TONIGHT OUR SPECIAL GUEST IS MR. TORGUE! MR. TORGUE TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.

Mr. Torgue: Well, Tina, I'm forty-three, I'm the founder of the Torgue Corporation.

Mad Moxxi: Don't encourage her –

Tiny Tina: THAT'S THE END OF MY SHOW I'D LIKE TO THANK MR. TORGUE AND MY MUSICAL GUESTS GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY!

Mad Moxxi: … So, did you actually want me to ask you the question or?

Torgue: TINA SAID 'GOODNIGHT' MOXXI. SHOW'S OVER!

Mad Moxxi: Motherf*cker.

[End tape 4]

Zero drives along the Crater's racetrack; through the start and finish line station a long ways down the track, then flipping a hard left u-turn. Heading straight now Zero drives along the sand, under the highway/bridge extending across the Crater and past the catch-a-ride station near the entrance to the crater.

After running over a few skags along the way Zero comes to a part in the rock wall that is split allowing for a path to exist. Hopping out of the much-abused Light Runner, Zero runs forward and up a path running along the right side of the rock wall. At first it's just a rock slope but then Zero has to cross a metal beam connected to two metal platforms embedded in the rock.

The rest of the course – which takes Zero higher and higher along the Crater's rock wall – consists of as follows: spaced out platforms connected to the rock wall, and two thin metal beams acting as bridges that don't connect in the middle forcing Zero to jump to traverse the middle.

Eventually Zero makes it to a secluded area situated way high above the Crater floor. Zero walks across the small area, past a water tower and into a metal shack. Out the back and on a small balcony wrapping around the metal shack, leaning up against the wall of the shack is the last interview ECHO recorder.

Zero picks it up and jumps all the way down the cliff and lands next to the Light Runner. As he does that, and drives back Zero listens to the fifth interview log.

[Begin tape 5]

Torgue: So Moxxi, what are you and the Vault Hunter gonna do if ya'll open the Vault?

Mad Moxxi: Personally, I plan on getting back in the limelight. Open a new Underdome, hear the crowd the crows screaming my name again…it'll be nice.

Torgue: What about the Vault Hunter?

Mad Moxxi: They'll probably keep grabbing loot and killing stuff. You know. The usual.

[End of interviews]

Mad Moxxi then says, "You found all the interviews? Gorgeous. Just bring 'em back to me and I'll make sure they're broadcast all over the Crater."

Piston then taunts in response, "Whatever, that painted town bicycle of yours won't change anybody's mind. We all know you're nothing more than a scared little coward, don't we?"

After about 10 minutes of searching around for Maya, Zero makes it back to the Badass Crater Bar and parks the Bloody Light Runner out front and heads inside. Zero turns in the mission and Moxxi responds with, "Now that you've brought back those interviews, they should broadcast over the Crater once in a while."


	14. Chapter 14: Entering the Forge Part 1

**Author's Note: This chapter is much shorter than the previous ones because of two reasons 1) I stayed up late writing this 2) I wanted to play for an hour with Zero to start up his character again. See you in part 2 for a brief update in the Author's Note. Oh and with the next chapter Primed For Extinction Part 2 will have officially run longer than Primed For Extinction Part 1, just thought I'd let you know, if you didn't already.**

**Chapter 14: Entering the Forge Part 1**

**Mission(s): Breaking and Entering * Main Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

With Maya up and in working condition, Zero and her head to the side entrance to the Arena from Moxxi's bar in the Crater.

Torgue commentates, "Watch in SUSPENSE as the Vault Hunter heads to the Forge, destined to battle FLYBOY! NOTHING can stop our Vault Hunter from achieving his goal! NOTHING!"

A robotic voice then says, "Door locked."

"Plot twist!" Torgue exclaims.

Moxxi then says, "The door's locked? Great. Uhmmm…Torgue security would probably have the keys. Get to the Arena and steal them from the security box."

After driving left from the bar along the Crater's racetrack, Zero takes a hard right then slowly turns to the left heading along the rock wall approaching the Arena. Turning left coming between the Arena and a rock wall Zero drives to the side entrance and parks the Blue Light Runner.

Maya and Zero hop out of the Light Runner, and head inside the side entrance to the outer ring of the Arena.

Piston then (annoyingly) says, "Just so your weak ass knows, I'm the one who locked the forge. Not because I'm worried about you ranking up – I could detonate you skull with but one well aimed squat thrust – but to spare you the indignity of loosing to Flyboy."

Heading out of the initial storage room, the two Vault Hunters head right and move along the tall wide corridor with boxes and metal sheets scattered throughout providing covers. Before going any further, Zero presents Maya with her new Slag Kitten. She accepts it gratefully, and both of them continue onward wary of Torgue Loaders.

Deciding to take turns to warm up before their tromp through the Loader infested sounding Forge, Zero goes first and brings up his sniper. Aiming for the red eyes set in the right side of the front of the Loader's torso. Maya peppering their exposed arms and legs with Slag bullets taking out the ones labeled Torgue Chargers, which had metal shields covering more than half their bodies.

They advanced like this for about half the distance around the outer ring, but them Maya switched to a sniper and Zero hung back willing to provide assistance with his Katana. Maya seemed to be doing just fine, because she used less impact but dangerous to metal corrosion sniper rifle.

Torgue then exclaims, "What's this? The Vault Hunter is breaking into Torgue security! What a RENEGADE! A RENEGADE COP who no play by nobody's rules until the commissioner assigns him A TALKING ROBOT DOG FOR A PARTNER who helps him track down the crime syndicate that murdered his family all the while teaching him A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT LIFE IN THE PROCESS THURSDAYS AT NINE!"

After eliminate quite a number of Torgue security bots Moxxi comes on the ECHO, "You're near the security box – open it and grab the keys to the Forge!"

After a quick jog the two Vault Hunters come full circle around the Outer Ring and come upon a collection of crates and other such things stacked upon each other – piled on the right side of the hall closet to the outside. Maya quickly scales it, putting away her sniper and snatches up the keys.

Moxxi then says once Maya has the keys, "Great – now you can get into the Forge, take down Flyboy, and become number two badass on the leaderboard."

Instead of heading all the way back around the Outer Ring, Maya and Zero both hopped up on another crate and jumped the tall divide and landed near the entrance. They went back into the storage room and ducked out of the side entrance back into the Crater.

Suddenly Flyboy comes on the ECHO, "This is Flyboy, with a message for that Vault-Hunting nubsauce: I. Am. The Future. You Vault Hunters are old news – I'm the new hotness. Don't be jelly you rook – I'm just gonna K your A you'll beg me to SYITF."

"What do you think fight, fans: can the Vault Hunters experience prove stronger than Flyboy's youthful arrogance and weird-ass slang? ALMOST CIRTAINLY! But I'll maintain otherwise to maintain dramatic tension," Torgue says commentating.

Moxxi says in response, "Flyboy's a spunky one – he just turned sixteen so, naturally he thinks he's invincible. You're gonna prove otherwise, sugar."

While listening to Torgue and Moxxi, Maya and Zero head up the ladder scaling the rock face. They come to the catch-a-ride station and Zero constructs their Blue Light Runner on top of the cliff instead of them hopping in it at the bottom. Maya – since she still doesn't trust herself behind the wheel – gets in the gunner's seat. Zero takes the driver's seat and drives them along the Crater's racetrack and through a tunnel carved through the rock.

Using the Afterburner, Zero quickly makes his way back to the two gates blocking the Light Runner's entrance into the Forge's doors area. The two Vault Hunters walk down the shaded area between the two rock walls and come to the wide-open space situated in front of the entrance doors to the Forge.

Both of them using their sniper rifles, Maya and Zero practicably plow their way through the area; more so quickly once they eliminated all the enemies from afar. After headhunting the 10 Bikers Maya and Zero head straight forward down the area, and turn left going up a steam ramp into the Forge.


	15. Chapter 15: Entering the Forge Part 2

**Chapter 15: Entering the Forge Part 2**

**Mission(s): Knockin' on Heaven's Door * Main Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

"You may have made it to the Forge, but good luck getting into my quarters, fleeze-breeze! My lair, is freakin impenetrable – no dree," Flyboy says.

Moxxi responds with, "Flyboy may think he's defended, but I've found three access points to his lair. Get to the battle board and blast your way through any of the access points and you'll get your shot at Flyboy. Heh – poor bastard has no idea what he's in for. Almost makes you feel bad, almost."

Both Maya and Zero walk down the slope entering the Forge. As they walk along walls obstruct most of their view, but off in the distance a lot of machinery, big metal pipes spewing lava, and many other such things loom ominously. Immediately in front of them after they enter the first area, Maya and Zero see a van stacked on top of a school bus.

Flyboy comments, "My Torgue security beezies will keep you on your tiptoppers! You couldn't get into my lair in a hundo years."

Torgue then bellows in response, "KIDS THESE DAYS AND THEIR CRAZY LANGUAGE AM I RIGHT?!"

Looking right and high above Maya sees a billboard sign advertising Moxxi's pizza. Maya says, "Wait, she's still selling pizza?" Zero nods and after considering it some says, "Pizza would be good / but maybe for later on / we have a mission." Realizing that Zero was right Maya leads the way somewhat out into the open.

After eliminating a few Torgue Gunners Maya and Zero both turn right, and then after 15 or so feet turn right again going through an archway. Beyond them lies a metal structure of platforms, walls with doorways built into them, and staircases (all made of what looked like metal made in the forge).

Flyboy then says something over the Forge's announcement system, "Attention buzzard pilots! You're getting sloppy! When the equalizer craps out on a hard turn you gotta amp up the yaw-thrust to compensate! It's like you IDIOTS have never flown a B-19 before! Am I the only one worth a damn around here?"

Maya moves forward and hops in a bandit turret situated on the first platform rise of the incline. Zero moves up to the second and goes off to the left, ready to snipe if needed. Zero ends up taking the head off of a Combat Engineer coming out of a shack on the left side near the bottom of the giant incline. Seeing Zero go for the close quarters, Maya decides to do the same and switches to her Jakobs shotgun.

Climbing up two different sets of steps Maya and Zero manage to work their way up the incline, taking out Combat Engineers climbing out of the metal work. Maya takes out what she assumes to be the last one, and Zero climbs the last set of stairs to their objective.

After coming up the winding stairs Zero comes up facing the back of the incline, and a building with a switch on its side. After flipping the switch Zero tells Maya to go back the way they came and he would take a different rout. After agreeing Maya sprints and jumps down the entire incline landing on metal platform after platform until after a few seconds she lands on dirt and heads out back through the archway.

Meanwhile Zero jumps down to his right, and heads down a slope on top of a cliff heading down to the first checkpoint. Zero comes to a small collection of two buildings built on metal platforms overlooking the two areas on either side of the checkpoint.

While keeping an eye on Maya opening the checkpoint – basically flipping a switch – Zero keep the other and his sniper rifle trained on the digistructing Torgue Thrashers (Loaders equipped with E-tech slag rockets and other nasty implements).

Just as Maya opens the checkpoint door one of the Torgue Thrashers opens fire. After a harrowing dodge and a few more close calls both Maya and Zero manage to make it to the entrance to the Junkyard alive.

"Yeah so I heard of this Flyboy guy. He's a noooooooooob. Just stick to the fundamentals I taught you and you gon' be ace," Tiny Tina says.

Moxxi says sarcastically, "…What "fundamentals"? Eat lots of cookies?"

Tiny then retorts, "Shut the HELL UP, MOXXI. You don't understand my PROCESS. … I take it back, girl. You know I love you. You forgive me?"

"[Sigh] … I guess. Sure. Whatever," Moxxi says done with Tina's antics.

Maya and Zero come face to face with a wall constructed very high around the Junkyard and are forced to move around it to the left. As they travel along Maya and Zero pass through multiple Skag dens – and they're careful as to not immediately wake them up from their slumber.

Maya and Zero head straight after turn left, loop around to the right and head past two entrances leading into the heart of the Junkyard. They decide to avoid these, in order to circumvent any unnecessary trouble. After heading on a ways, an turning to the right again in a curve turn, Maya and Zero come to an archway built out of concrete with rebar sticking out of it near the top.

Down the slop near the bottom Loaders come marching out of the Junkyard alerted to their presence because of a JET Loader flying towards them from a fairly high altitude. The Loader comes screaming down form the sky, and Maya phaselocks it allowing Zero do dissect it into explosion-ness with a well-aimed sniper round.

After staying near the top of the slope using the archway for menial cover, the two Vault Hunters manage to fend off what must have been at least half the robots in the Junkyard. "Flyboy's getting desperate, he knows we're coming for him and he's throwing more at us." Zero agrees by nodding and he then runs down the slope.

Maya follows and they both come to a stream of what looks like a mixture of lava and molten metal cutting the Junkyard in half. Thankfully a metal bridge is suspended over the very hot flowing river high enough for both Vault Hunters to walk across with the minimal amount of mishap.

After reaching the other side of the hot flowing river, Zero heads straight but slightly to the right into a shack with no door in its doorway. Inside Zero finds the third switch and flips it. After doing that Zero heads out of the shack and follows Maya across the grayish stone ground and up another slope.

After turning right and passing through another sleeping Skag den Maya and Zero head several feet along the next path, but turn left stepping through a metal gateway. They turn right and run up a steep slope. After going up about halfway up the slope – maybe less than that – Maya turns left and comes to (going from left to right) a Zed' Meds, Ammo Dump, the battle board and a tall pole with Torgue banners at the top.

Maya turns in the mission to the battle board and looks over at Zero. Her mysterious companion, ally, assassin, and – Maya had still yet to really confirm this – dangerous love interest.

**Post Author's Note: I'd just like to thank all of you, readers, who've stuck with this story this far in. It'll be getting better (hopefully) since we're really close to the fight with Piston. I have something special planned for the fight, and it'll probably go against all know laws of cannon. Or maybe not, we'll see.**


	16. Chapter 16: The Junkyard Scramble

**Author's Note: Hello again, this chapter's a little on the short side. It's basically the 'calm' before the storm of Piston's obvious cheating, and the 'battle' with Flyboy. I'm looking forward to that chapter, hope you are too; it'll be up on Wednesday.**

**Chapter 16: The Junkyard Scramble**

**Mission(s): My Husband the Skag * Side Mission**

**Battle: Twelve O' Clock High * Main Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

Maya is distracted when someone with an urgent request comes on the ECHO.

A man named Jerek says, "My husband…has been turned into a skag. I know it sounds insane, but I'm certain of it. He's somewhere in the Torgue Forge – look for a skag with a red scarf. Find him, please."

Zero stays next to the bounty board, while Maya sneaks off back around the way they had come. Zero rationalized that something must have come up, and he leaves Maya to do her own thing – but Zero decides to follow her after 10 minutes.

Maya makes it back to where her and Zero had first entered the Junkyard, she then peers back and sees a few skags coming out of their dens. Maya moves closer looking for a – despite how silly and stupid it sounded – skag wearing a red scarf.

"Hmmm – none of those skags have a scarf. Oh, well – just kill them all," Jerek demands, his voice changing.

Not really alarmed yet, Maya then proceeds to blast the skags to pieces with her Jakobs shotgun.

Jerek then yells, "Take that Uriah! Nobody cheats on me with impunity! I thought paying that gypsy to turn you into a skag would quell my lust for vengeance, but it wasn't enough. NOW DIE!"

Maya then comes, after turning a bend, to another skag den in between the two empty archways leading into the heart of the Junkyard. Again using her shotgun Maya takes out about a dozen skags.

Jerek asks, almost out of control, "Was it worth it, Uriah?! Was it worth being turned into a SKAG? I HOPE IT WAS, YOU BASTARD!"

Now beginning to worry for the poor man's sanity, Maya continues with the mission. She runs along down the slope where the battle with the Junkyard Loaders had taken place mere minutes before, across the bridge spanning the hot flowing river, and up another slope to the final skag den. Using a Jakobs pistol this time, Maya practiced her aiming with a solid stance and shot bullets into the skags mouths.

"Good job. One of those skags must have been my husband," Jerek says.

Suddenly a voice calls out, "Hey. Vault Hunter. Over hear."

Maya follows the sound of the voice, back down the slope and turns left heading into the heart of the Junkyard. After heading along some metal platforms low to the ground, Maya hops up on two barrels and then hops up to a mini house built on a metal structure above the Junkyard.

Uriah then begins awkwardly, "So, uh. Yeah – I'm not a skag. I ran away once that maniac Jerek found out I cheated on him. Look – can you do me a favor and give him my scarf so he thinks I'm dead? Oh, and also, don't kill me. I just realized that stepping out of my hiding spot when you thought I was dead was probably a bad move. …So…uh…yeah…that got awkward fast."

Deciding to punish the cheater, and besides that Maya always sided with the crazy people, she shot Uriah point blank in the face with her pistol.

Jerek then fumes, "He wasn't even a skag?! The lying – now I'm beginning to think those gypsies don't actually have mystical powers! Still, Vault Hunter I thank you for upholding my honor. Get back to the bounty board whenever you're done."

Zero contacts Maya via ECHO and requests that she help him with the Battle, graciously agreeing Maya returns to Zero and briefly describes the mission to him. To which he responds with, "He deserved to die / that or you like the crazy / either way let's go."

Zero takes the mission off the battle board and Torgue says, "Flyboy's so arrogant he thinks his Buzzards army will protect him, but once you wipe 'em all out he'll learn that pride goeth before a fall. ICARUS SYMBOLISM!"

Maya and Zero walk into the area and are surrounded by Escort Buzzards in the air and Cargo Buzzards.

Torgue then explains, "Once you kill Flyboy's men and steal his toys, he'll invite you up to his lair so he can kill ya. AH, THE FOLLY OF YOUTH!"

The battle begins and Maya snipes, using her Resolute Rifle, blasts the Escort Buzzards out of the sky with corrosive bullets. Taking careful aim Zero manages to Norefleet two Cargo Buzzards out of the air, their cargo flying to random places around the ground near Maya.

While the Siren steals Flyboy's 'toys' – which are really just 5 banjos – the Assassin snipes the pilots out of their Buzzards, thereby causing the airborne crafts to crash to the ground. After celebrating with a 10 second passionate hug – that implicated more than was let on, but was ignored in light of their current battle adrenaline – Maya and Zero head back to the battle board and turn in the mission…together.


	17. Chapter 17: The End of Flyboy

**Author's Note: If you find that, any of this story or the previous one is lacking somehow in quality, then blame me. I'm trying to make this seem as interesting as possible, since I'm doing most of the missions. As for any grammar you have noticed thus far … please ignore them as you have already been doing. I have so much going on that I can hardly be bothered to go and fix them. Also the next chapter will be the last of Part 2, Piston will die, and one of the Vault Hunter's will contract a deadly disease. I won't say which one gets the disease, the disease, or why and what happens next. That's for next chapter, and next chapter's Author's Note to explain. Please, enjoy this chapter in the meantime.**

**Chapter 17: The End of Flyboy**

**Mission(s): Kickstart My Heart * Main Mission**

**Say That To My Face * Side Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

Maya and Zero stand near the battle board, having just received their next mission they're listening to the briefing.

Torgue commentates, "Get on your feet, fight fans – thanks to the Vault Hunter's badassery, NOTHING stands between him slash her and the number two ranked gladiator! This is gonna be SIIIICK!"

Mad Moxxi says encouragingly and with enthusiasm, "The path to Flyboy's lair is open! Get in there and bring the pain!"

Out of nowhere some anonymous troll started smack talking Maya, and Zero chuckled silently realized they would be deterred from their main objective momentarily, "Hey Vault Hunter I gotta job for you. Why don't you…kiss my ass and get the hell outta this crater. Seriously numbnuts, just quite now!"

"That was some bush league smack talk – why don't you pay those idiots a visit and shut em up for good. I MEAN KILL EM!" Torgue retaliates.

With vengeance in her heart for the murder of the anonymous troll, Maya heads back to the area where the Buzzard battle had taken place. Zero followed behind Maya as she turned right, and passed through metal square pillars supporting a walkway, connecting two metal structures.

Maya leading Zero continued on turning right after heading forward, and walking down a steep decline. After reaching a metal platform at the bottom of the decline, Maya took a ninety degree turn to the left and went forward up another slope but much smaller this time which lead to a flat area hemmed in by walls.

Maya pivots left again, and heads up metal steps onto a small metal grated platform then climbed up a metal ladder suspended from a platform of rock several feet up. Zero follows fluidly up the ladder following Maya – as the Assassin follow the siren across a thin yet thick metal beam bridge, he takes out an incendiary Pimpernel sniper rifle (his other Jakobs had been smashed to pieces during the Junkyard Loader fight due to a volley of Jet Loader rockets).

After hopping off the metal platforms connected by the beam bridge, Maya moves forward aggressively moving out in the open up a partially barren slope – save for piles of junk scattered about including one with an abandoned supply crate. Off to the right side near the beginning of the slope Zero takes cover behind a trash can fire and an old school bus.

The Anonymous Troll then says in surprise, "Oh CRAP! The Vault Hunter got our message! Waste 'EM!"

The fight was long and annoying, since most of the Biker's including the Anonymous Troll had equipped a sniper rifle each. Maya hung back and used the spare Jakobs sniper rifle she had borrowed from Zero. It seemed poor Zero's sniper rifles seemed to be getting destroyed.

Right then and there while the two Vault Hunter's were popping heads, Maya decided to stick strictly to the elemental sniper rifles. Namely the ones she had stored in her golden pouch for emergencies. These included the Longbow, Storm, and Volcano sniper rifles. The first Maya would use for power and trajectory, the second for electricity and zapping shields, and the last for melting things to molten slag.

When only an injured Anonymous Troll remained, Maya gave back Zero his Jakobs sniper rifle and pulled out her Cohesion Longbow. Both the Longbow and the Volcano were fire elemental sniper rifles, but the Volcano worked much better at long distance since it had something the Longbow didn't have – an actual scope.

Maya squeezed the trigger once, and an e-tech square like arching projectile spat violently out of the Longbow and slammed into and melted through the armor covered face of the Anonymous Troll.

Torgue then congratulates Maya on the kill, "I like you! You put your bullets where the smack talker's mouth was!"

After eliminating the Anonymous Troll, Maya follow Zero this time as he leads the way down to the path they had been following earlier and to the front gates of Flyboy's lair. As soon as they approached the gate, it opened pipes sliding in opposite directions until the way was clear.

Piston announces to the Vault Hunters – but mainly Maya, "I'm gonna make a Piston Promise to you, baby – regardless of what happens with that puissant Flyboy, you are not leaving that Forge alive."

Suddenly out of the metal work tower, bandits like Psychos and Bruisers as well as a few Bikers came out of hiding and began shooting and throwing buzzaxes at the two Vault Hunters. Switching to her Volcano, and Zero stick to his Pimpernel both Vault Hunters became more than formidable forces as they turned many of their enemies heads into flames.

A few Psychos charged them as the two Vault Hunters moved forward, from both directions Maya took care of the ones coming from the left by Siren punching them and Zero expertly sliced off their heads with his katana.

After dispatching the Psychos, Maya and Zero moved along the first level and eliminated the Bikers coming out of the metal huts, and small garaged built into and among the platforms of the first level all built around a main pillar. Maya finds a staircase and starts moving up it, while Zero cunningly shoots the feet of Bikers and other such enemies through the floor up above.

When Maya finally makes it to the next floor she has to only attack several Bandits and Bikers camped out near the top of the stairs – which she does easily thanks to her powers giving deadly doses of elemental power to each one of her enemies. Zero then heads to the leftmost side of the tower from the entrance's perspective. He walks up the winding staircase and finds Maya finishing off one of the many charred corpses Zero had cooked with his Pimpernel.

Flyboy comments on their progress, "Good going, dirch – you worked real hard to get your sheeze pushed to the edge. Once I get in my buzzard BOHAMED, HIMSELF COULD NOT STOP ME. I'm gonna show you what a real badass is."

Maya and Zero have now snaked their way around the middle pillar once again along the second level of platforms and are on the opposite side of the pillar form the entrance's perspective. Heading straight, then right, then left Maya and Zero make their way up a staircase and onto a higher metal platform this one not made of grating but made of a smooth metal sheet.

Turning a 90-degree left Maya and Zero walks up two staircases, only to come to a convoluted mess of almost rail-less metal platforms. Many bandits were stationed along the monstrosity of platforms and metal staircases stretched around the supporting pillar.

Moxxi them comes on commentating, "Ladies and gents, we're nearly ready for Flyboy and the Vault Hunter to face off!"

Torgue retaliates loudly, "HEY, GET OFF MY ECHO LADY! I ONLY LET YOU CO-HOST AS A ONE-TIME DEAL!"

Moxxi apologizes, "Sorry Torgue, but I'm much better at doing the … blow-by-blow commentaries for these fights."

Torgue then bellows in response, "BIG DEA, I CAN USE INUENDO, TOO. TONIGHT'S FIGHT IS BETWEEN FLYBOY AND THE VAULT HUNTER! … BLOWJOBS!"

After the rather sticky – and bloody mess – Maya and Zero finally make it to the lift that will take them to the top of Flyboy's lair. Both of them walk down a short metal corridor and step into the elevator. Maya pulls the switch and they ascend. Maya and Zero come to the end of another short metal tunnel leading to a central platform situated atop the metal support pillar.

Flyboy flies overhead in his Buzzard talking, "This is where it ends you TPR. I'm gonna DT my Buzzard with your godamn SPINE!"

Torgue begins his pre fight commentary, "We're ready to start! Flyboy verses the Vault Hunter fight – [A giant missile streaks out of nowhere and blows up Flyboy] – HOLY F*CKSH*T! SOME HUGE GODAMN AIRSHIP JUST MURDERED FLYBOY!"

Moxxi is furious, "That is COMPLETELY against the rules! I DEMAND to know where the ref is?"

Torgue asks, "WHAT THE F*CK IS A REF?"

Tiny Tina then cautions, "Some turrets are coming out of the blimp! Hold on to your butts!"

With almost no cover on the top platform Maya and Zero are forced to then hide behind the buildings briefly for cover so the turrets can't hit them. Bullets seem to do no good to the blimp. Tiny Tina then gives some advice that the gondola on the blimp is a massive critical spot.

Zero takes her advice and fires three quick Pimpernel rounds up into the gondola. The blimp's gondola is then engulfed in flames and Piston's blimp begins to smoke. Almost all over like its insides were lit on fire.

"[Really sick guitar solo that I failed at copying] Vault Hunter, you are now the number two ranked badass in all of Pandora," Mr. Torgue announces.

Tiny Tina shouts in congratulations, "THAT'S MY GIRL! WOOOOO!"

Piston comes on, "[coughing] I'm still alive, COWARD! You couldn't stop me!"

Moxxi says encouragingly, "You did great Vault Hunter! Now get back here and we'll see about finishing Piston!"

Piston then comes on the ECHO retorting for one last time, "You stay the HELL away form me understand? I don't want to see you within a country MILE of the champ, or things are gonna get messy."

Somewhere during the following trek back to Moxxi Maya and Zero listen briefly to Mr. Torgue as they turn in the mission for killing the Anonymous Troll, "Only WUSSBAGS can't back up their own smack talk!"

Once they reach the end of the Forge, and the entrance to the Crater Zero decides to save them both time, and using the fast travel station digistructs them both directly into Moxxi's bar. Maya hangs back sitting at a table resting herself up, and trying to calm her nerves for the coming fight.

Zero walks over to Moxxi and turns in the mission.

Mad Moxxi says, "It's time to win this thing kid."


	18. End Chapter 18: The Starlight Disease

**Author's Note: Wooohoooo! We made it to the last chapter of Part 2! This one was a bit of a pain to produce, hence that I didn't get it uploaded on Friday. Anyway, I sencirily hoped you enjoyed reading the story thus far. The direct sequel to this story, if any of you were wondering will be called, Primed For Extinction Part 3. It will be bases off of Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt the DLC but with my devious twist to it. Hope you looking forward to that, and thank you for reading Part 2 of Primed For Extinction.**

**Chapter 18: The Starlight Disease**

**Mission(s): Long Way To The Top * Main Mission**

**DLC: Mr. Torgue's Campaign of Carnage**

"This is it. Piston is the only thing standing between you and a Vault full of loot. You know what to do, Sugar."

Moxxi's words galvanized the Vault Hunters. And with less time to prepare than they'd like to have had, Maya and Zero head off to the arena to finish the fight with Piston. The possibility of loot, the crowd screaming her name, and the possibility of being with Zero a little longer gave Maya the confidence she had been searching for in the Badass Crater Bar.

Zero however would've done anything for Maya, even have stayed with her and temporarily given up the Assassin business in order to attempt a normal relationship. But Zero could clearly tell that the Siren of his attention was most focused on winning, and she thought him and her was a celebrity couple.

Zero then surmised, while he rode in the back of their Blue Light Runner, that Maya assumed since their 'relationship' was celebrity that it wouldn't last very long. Zero also got the feeling due to Maya's silence that she thought he was mad at her.

After mulling it over until Maya pulled up to the front entrance of the Arena, Zero came to a decision. He would make Maya aware of his presence in the coming fight and they would take Piston down together. No longer would their adventures be 'just for fun' they would be meaningful, actually worthwhile time spent together doing the only thing both of them knew how to do.

Maya led the way into the Arena, and Zero followed her into the pre fight room.

Moxxi asks Torgue, "Say, what are you planning to do with the arena once the tournament is over?"

Torgue responds with, "Oh, probably get a construction team in here to carefully disassemble it and WHAT THE F*CK DO YOU THINK?! WE'RE GONNA BLOW IT UP!"

"Oh, sugar. I've got a much better idea," Moxxi says somewhat mysteriously.

During the conversation between Moxxi and Torgue, Maya and Zero stocked up on ammo. After making sure they had enough both Vault Hunters went forward down the tunnel to the smaller room. Zero opened the door by grabbing the bottom and lifting it upwards until it disappeared into the ceiling.

When both Vault Hunters vaulted over the low concrete barrier put in front of the entrance they landed in some sparse dried greenery. Before them stretched the Arena, completely bare except for four Hyperion ammo dispensers along the edges of the Arena floor – which was basically a great sand disc with a metal grate in the middle holding the Vault symbol.

Maya followed by Zero approach and stand on the Vault symbol in the middle of the Arena – the crowd's excited cheering tuning the background all the while.

Torgue announces loudly, "THIS IS WHERE IT ALLLLLL ENDS, FIGHT FANS! ARE! YOU! READY?"

As Piston speaks a giant mechanical monster begins forming out of nowhere in front of the Vault Hunters blocking their path back to the exit, "I told you to stay away, Vault Hunter. But now it's time I fought you in single combat. Gladiator versus gladiator versus – GIANT GODAMN METAL T-REX!"

"Piston you cheating bastard!" Moxxi accuses.

"I'M NOT A CHEATER!" Piston retorts.

Torgue comments on the giant metal dinosaur currently breathing fire left and right intimidating the Vault Hunters with its size, "THAT BADASSASAURAS IS THE GREATEST MECHANICAL MARVAL I HAVE EVER SEEN! IT IS THE HENRY THE IV OF ROBOTIC DINOSAURS!"

Gears and pistons begin whirring and decompressing on the Badassasauras as Maya and Zero stand their stupefied, trying to come up with ideas on how to fight this thing.

Moxxi then comments on the fight, as the Badassasauras trundles forward forcing Maya and Zero to back up hurriedly, "I tell you Torgue this is a legendary battle between good and evil! Between cowardice and heroism!"

Torgue responds with, "BETWEEN GIANT METAL T-REXES AND THINGS THAT AREN'T GIANT METAL T-REXES!"

"Well put!"

"I know!"

Fire then begins to rain down from the sky, Maya and Zero are then forced to separate and dodge to either sides of the arena. The Badassasauras trundles on its tank treads after Zero and the Assassin is forced to abandon fighting and resort to dodging. The only problem is that every time Zero plants a decoy and doges to the side – the giant metal t-rex piloted by Piston runs it over and Zero is almost immediately showed with volatile fire projectiles.

Maya off to the side sees some tanks attached to the rear sides of the metal monstrosity and realizes that this might be her only option. She starts feeling funny, but Maya decides to ignore the curious feeling growing inside her and focus on the fight.

Eventually after Zero doges several volleys of fireballs, he notices that the metal t-rex has stopped. Maya then yells, "NUKE INCOMING!"

Zero then takes out his Norefleet and aims high just spotting the rising nuke cresting the top of the Arena's ceiling. Zero gets off a shot and one of the orbs luckily, somehow manages to connect with it causing a glorious explosion to test the shield keeping the audience safe.

Zero's sharp senses pick up Maya's cough and he knows this fight needs to end quickly, as Zero makes his way over to her he fires another round this time aiming at the cockpit of the metal t-rex. The three shots somehow converge on one point and Zero briefly catches Maya – the tattoos on he left arm burning brighter and hotter then he's ever seen them do before.

The giant mechanical t-rex exploded, due to the Norefleet ammo impacting on the same point, and out flew Piston screaming "NO!"

"The Badassasauras has been destroyed!" Moxxi cheered.

Torgue then pledged, "IT WILL ALWAYS LIVE ON IN MY HEART!"

Piston then lands on the ground unluckily between Zero and Maya. After getting himself up off the ground and checking his two arm cannons Piston says, "FINE! You wanted it, you got it! Prepare to face the champ!"

The crowds starts chanting 'CHEATER! CHEATER! CHEATER!' while Piston looks around him, he then yells while charging up both his arm cannons, "Shut up! All of you, shut up!"

Two electric balls shoot out of Piston's arm cannons and they streak towards Zero. They end up passing through Zero's decoy harmlessly, and Piston turns himself around seeing Zero helping a limping Maya off towards the exit.

"Oh no you don't! Come and face me, COWARDS!" Piston roars backing up, charging forward, then leaping the distance to land between Maya Zero and the entrance. "Not today, LOSERS!"

Zero pushes Maya back drawing his sword, but thickly muscled arm like a red wood tree trunk slams Zero to the side causing him to skid at least fifty feet along the Arena floor. In a daze Zero raises himself off the floor, waiting for his suit's emergency medical system to kick in. He watches as Maya – barely holding herself together due to painful spasms and a racking cough – get blasted in the chest with two energy balls from Piston's arm cannons.

Zero, furious beyond belief, stood up regardless of his bruised beyond repair body. He stared at Piston rising to his full height, and towered at least a head over the now squat looking madman.

Raising his voice Zero yelled, "You Fucking Bastard / how dare you strike down the sick / when I am still strong!"

Piston turns around startled by the still standing Assassin, what he doesn't see coming next was the katana soaring impossibly straight right in between his eyes. It only lodged halfway in Piston's head and began to slide out before Zero, planting his feet on Piston's shoulders drove the sword all the way through Piston's head with a sickening yet satisfying crunch.

Torgue then bellowed, "THAT'S IT FOLKS! THE BLOOD OF A COWARD HAS BEEN SPILT BY PANDORA'S NUMBER ONE BADASS! THE VAULT IS GONNA OPEN!"

"Ladies and gentleman, let's hear it for the VAULT HUNTER!" Moxxi cheered.

THE VAULT'S OPENING! IT'S TIME FOR A LOOT SPLOSION!" Torgue says again, Zero's concentration is torn between searching for Maya and the giant attractive light now exploding from the now open gate in the middle of the Arena floor.

Zero then suddenly sees Maya crawling towards the middle of the arena, her right hand then stretches out trying to submerge it in the radioactive Eridium energy but she's too late. And as the Vault door closes – having expelled all its loot – Maya slumps to the floor her arm falling in the dust defeated.

Zero not believing his eyes, rushes over to Maya and sees his soul mate lying on the ground the light in her eyes fading. Zero desperately doesn't want to believe it, but all the signs are there. A deadly Siren disease rumored to exist that supposedly brought the population of all Sirens to only 6.

The sudden cough, followed by spasms, and the sudden need for Eridium then immediately into a comatose state. Zero knew what this was – an old whispered wife's tale that wasn't meant to be true – the Starlight Disease.


End file.
